Top 6 Vulnerabilities Found in a Vulnerability Assessment

Top 6 Vulnerabilities Found in a Vulnerability Assessment

Understanding the weak points of your organization is key to staying proactive against cyber threats. Conducting a vulnerability assessment can help you identify any risks that can possibly lead to a cybersecurity incident. An IT service provider can perform a vulnerability assessment

while also developing an action plan to take care of any issues.

Here are a few of the most common vulnerabilities impacting businesses.

  1. SSL Certificate Anomalies

The highest number of discoveries found during a vulnerability assessment is in the area of SSL certificates. The certificates alerts are typically the result of SSL certificates being misconfigured, invalid, or are implemented with an out of date version.

  1. Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft Exchange Server was the victim of four-zero day vulnerabilities earlier this year. These vulnerabilities could lead to data theft, malware deployment, and  server hijacking. Downloading the latest Microsoft patches is critical to avoid these issues.

  1. PrintNightmare

PrintNightmare is a vulnerability involving remote code execution that allows attackers to use the Windows Print Spooler service to install new programs or delete data. Always downloading recent updates from Microsoft will resolve this vulnerability.

  1. VMware Spectre

The VMware Spectre vulnerability can potentially expose any information within a computer. This IT security flaw makes it possible for attackers to access confidential data due to a vulnerability within the processor memory of many well-known manufacturers. Keeping software up to date is essential in avoiding this problem.

  1. Open Ports

Many times changes are made on networks for testing of new applications or simple diagnostics. Ports are sometime left open inadvertantly as a result of the testing of these applications. Open ports increase the chance of a data breach. A vulnerability assessment can identify/monitor open ports to determine which ones need to be closed to avoid the chance of a cybersecurity incident.

  1. Out of Date Software

Many different businesses make the simple mistake of not keeping their software up to date. Outdated software makes it easy for cybercriminals to exploit any vulnerabilities, and it can lead to a wide range of problems.

Whether you realize it or not your networks are likely being scanned every day by the bad guys from anywhere in the world. The offenders are constantly looking for areas to attack where you may have let your guard down and left doors opens for them to explore. It’s critically important to identify and remediate these vulnerabilities as quickly as possible so that you do not brand yourself as a target.

If all your externally facing data assets are configured correctly, a vulnerability scan should not reveal ANY information about your network set up that could be used by hackers in the reconnaissance (or data gathering) phase of the hacking process. Keeping your external facing internet connections tightened down is a critical step for any organization that needs to be cyber secure and that should be everybody!

Staying aware of potential vulnerabilities is essential for any business. Working with an IT service provider to conduct vulnerability assessments can help you identify any threats before they lead to any incidents. Feel free to reach out to Network Access to learn more about the importance of vulnerability assessments