Each passing year has seen greater malware threats, as cyber security must be treated as a top issue in the business world. Security strength can be measured in levels based on the effectiveness and reliability of technology. Vulnerability scanners and penetration tools can provide extra strength to proactive security strategies. Here are some of the most important strategies you can use for improving your security:
Use Vulnerability Scoring
One of the most effective ways to evaluate network security is to use the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). This method is considered valuable, although analysts should still be careful not to overlook certain nuances and distortions that affect scoring, such as temporal data lowering a score. The higher the score, the more IT officials need to inspect for unusual activity. But keep in mind that sometimes vulnerabilities can still exist in mid-level scores. Information leakage does not result in high scores even though it can lead to compromised confidential data.
Some of the companies that use this scoring system include Cisco and Oracle. Despite its common professional use for measuring cyber threats, CVSS is not a threat rating system that can be compared with methods used by the US Department of Homeland Security, nor is it considered a vulnerability database or identification system. There are alternatives to the CVSS formula that use different metrics.
Authenticated Scans
A way to overcome the limitations of a vulnerability scan is to use authenticated scans, which eliminate false positives. It provides a Common Platform Enumeration (CPE), which tracks digital assets and identifies the software versions they run on. It generates more comprehensive reports.
7 Layer Security Model
The OSI model for security has seven layers and it’s often layer number 7 that is most problematic. You must scan your applications so make sure they do not contain vulnerabilities. It’s also important to be on the lookout for misconfiguration or any problems associated with application security.
Custom Configured Scan Results
The reason scan results should be consumable is because reports can get too cumbersome dealing with a long list of relevant and irrelevant variables. You may only want to focus on an actionable list, which improves IT productivity. This can be done by deploying a specific patch or associating a selected group of assets with relevant identifiers. It’s important to have options for prioritizing types of data to analyze, to save the cyber security team time.
Use Alternative Identifier to DHCP
IT professionals must guard against rogue Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers that appear on a local subnet or LAN. Tools such as DHCP Explorer can be used to detect these unwanted servers on a network, but vulnerability segment scans are more efficient.
Don’t Use Load Balancers
Although load balancers have useful functions, they aren’t the best tools for vulnerability scanning. You need to be able to match IP addresses with port numbers when identifying vulnerabilities. Load balancers will increase the complexity of your analysis, leading to a lot more guesswork.
Conclusion
Vulnerability remains an effective strategy for cyber security experts to test networks and applications for bugs. If your IT services need upgrading to ensure better security, contact onShore Security to learn more about your options. We offer a thorough proactive process that keeps your data protected.