VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

We help to identify, quantify and categorise potential security risks in your environment. Let our vulnerability assessment services provide insight into cyber security risks affecting your infrastructure.

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What is a Vulnerability Assessment?

Vulnerability assessment is a testing method to identify and classify threats affecting an asset i.e. a server, a workstation or a device. Cyphere’s Vulnerability Assessment services help businesses by identifying, quantifying and categorising security risks with ongoing support and guidance for their remediation.

Why is Vulnerability Assessment important?

The speed with which new vulnerabilities are discovered in various products makes it important to identify and mitigate risks before hackers exploit any flaws. It is a crucial element for risk assessments.

Cyphere offers this exercise with added human intelligence added to remove false positives. However, this is not a concentrated manual effort as demonstrated via penetration testing. These assessments are a useful way to assess larger networks regularly in shorter time periods and are a useful way to prepare for penetration testing.

Vulnerability assessment and tools

An assessment is performed using vulnerability scanning tools to scan for known vulnerabilities. These vulnerability assessment tools are a mix of open-source and commercial software such as Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS and so on. Depending upon the scope, further scripts, tools and utilities are used relevant to web applications, networks and/or devices. To scan web applications from the outside, vulnerability testing includes use of scanning tools to identify security flaws such as SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting (XSS), Command Injection, Path Traversal and insecure server configuration. Read list of OWASP Top 10 application security risks here.

Don’t make a mistake of buying a vulnerability scan disguised as a vulnerability assessment service. The goal of the vulnerability assessment process is to perform vulnerability scans and provide a list of vulnerabilities affecting your network, added with security expertise in removing false positives and explain the attack impacts and likelihood of exploitation. This accuracy when fed into the risk remediation process, makes it effective risk assessment for a business.

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Vulnerability Assessment methodology

Discovery

First step of vulnerability assessment process is to profile the target, i.e. a network, a server, or a device. This is a non-intrusive exercise and involves activities like analysing the network, understanding the different assets and services, operating systems, programs in use, and anything related to network layout. This is a fundamental step and helps to prepare for the next stage of finalising targets and finding weaknesses.

Vulnerability Scanning

This phase includes running vulnerability scanner excluding any dangerous plugins to find weaknesses in the scoped systems. This exercise is scheduled in automated fashion unless explicitly agreed to limited timescales with a customer.

Vulnerability Analysis

The prioritised list of targets is scanned for vulnerabilities. This assessment involves checking both published as well as undocumented vulnerabilities against the target assets. We sift through the scan results for false positives. The manual assessment ensures focus on verified vulnerabilities only.

Reporting

The assessment-execution phase is followed by the analysis & reporting. Cyphere performs analysis on the testing output, evaluates the risk impact and likelihood of exploitation in realistic scenarios before providing action plans to remediate the identified risks. All our reports address business as well as the technical audience with supporting raw data, including mitigation measures at strategic and tactical levels.

Debrief & Support

Cyphere takes customer communication as seriously as reporting or assessment execution. We engage with customers during all stages and ensure that customer contacts are up to date in the language they understand. Post engagement, a free debrief is conducted to help the customers understand the weaknesses and prepare a mitigation plan. Phone and email support is available after the project completion.

Benefits of Vulnerability Assessments

Our Engagement Approach

Customer Business Insight

The very first step remains our quest to gain insight into drivers, business, pain points and relevant nuances. As part of this process, we understand the assets that are part of the scope.

Services Proposal

It is important to gain grips with the reality, therefore, we always stress on walkthroughs or technical documentation of the assets. After asset walkthroughs, a tailored proposal is designed to meet your business’ specific requirements.

Execution and Delivery

Cyphere’s approach to vulnerability analysis work involves excellent communication before and during the execution phase. Customer communication medium and frequency are mutually agreed, and relevant parties are kept updated throughout the engagement duration.

Data Analysis & Reporting

Execution phase is followed by data analysis and reporting phase. Cyphere performs analysis on the testing output, evaluates the risk impact and likelihood of exploitation in realistic scenarios before providing action plans to remediate the identified risks. All our reports address business as well as the technical audience with supporting raw data, including mitigation measures at strategic and tactical levels

Debrief & Support

As part of our engagement process, customers schedule a free of charge debrief with management and technical teams. This session involves remediation plan, assessment QA to ensure that customer contacts are up to date in the language they understand.