4 steps that will protect your network and technology
Vulnerabilities in new technology are one of the unfortunate side-effects of innovation. Every update fixes old code-level bugs but introduces new ones π β no company can escape it.
Vulnerabilities in new technology are one of the unfortunate side-effects of innovation. Every update fixes old code-level bugs but introduces new ones π β no company can escape it. 61% of vulnerabilities are more than 5 years old. Attackers exploit ongoing bugs more often, because attacks can be automated. Putting together an effective process for managing and eliminating these vulnerabilities isn't hard, and it significantly reduces the risk of opportunistic attacks. Just follow the steps in this article.
Step 1. Decide what needs to be protected
First, determine what hardware and software you own. Include everything that makes up β or is connected to β your network, such as:
β’ Computers
β’ Servers
β’ Phones & tablets
β’ IoT devices
β’ Cloud services
Step 2. Assess vulnerability
The next step is a vulnerability assessment. These tests are usually done by an IT security expert using assessment software, often combined with a network penetration test. The expert scans your network and identifies where it's vulnerable.
Step 3. Prioritize the most vulnerable points
Most likely you'll see several weak spots in your network. Not all of them are equally serious, so address the worst ones first.
Step 4. Remove the vulnerability
Working through the list you built in the previous step, start removing the vulnerabilities one by one. Sometimes it's just a simple update. Sometimes it isn't, and you may need, for example, to buy new hardware or migrate to a different system π‘.