How do you prioritize and address vulnerabilities found during vulnerability assessments or penetration testing

Addressing and prioritizing vulnerabilities discovered during vulnerability assessments or penetration testing is critical to maintaining a secure infrastructure. The Cybersecurity Group uses a risk-based approach to evaluate each identified vulnerability. This involves analyzing the severity of the vulnerability, the potential impact on the organization, and the likelihood of exploitation.

High-severity vulnerabilities that pose a significant risk to critical systems or sensitive data are addressed first, often through patching, system updates, or reconfigurations. For less critical vulnerabilities, the group may implement mitigating controls or schedule updates for future maintenance windows.

Once the vulnerabilities are fixed, follow-up assessments and testing are conducted to ensure the solutions are effective. This ongoing cycle of identification, remediation, and reassessment is key to maintaining a strong security posture.