According to Statista reports, 21% of organisations in the UK claimed to have a data breach at least one-time a month, 24% reported a data breach less than once a month, and 18% reported witnessing a data breach once every week. Thus, securing data and systems in the digital world has become paramount for organisations across every possible industry. But this is where the scope for vulnerability assessments comes in! The critical steps of a vulnerability assessment are finding, categorising, and remedying security vulnerabilities which potentially may be exploited by cyber threats. This guide will discuss the vulnerability assessment types & methodologies, selection methods, advanced security measures, and tools used to better contribute to informed decision-making and risk mitigation for organisations.
What is Vulnerability Assessment?
Vulnerability assessment is a systematic process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritising the security weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications. The process involves
- Scanning of devices, databases, and software applications to detect security flaws in hardware systems, OS, and applications.
- Scanning and analysing cloud infrastructure to look for weaknesses such as outdated patches, misconfigured applications, and insecure protocols
Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report indicates that 14% of data breaches were initiated by exploitation of the vulnerabilities. Thus, routine vulnerability assessments offer critical insights into an organisation’s security posture, enabling proactive defences to reduce attack surfaces, prevent breaches, and meet all the important regulations, including PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.
Types and Methodologies of Vulnerability Assessments
Understanding the types of vulnerability assessments helps organisations identify and correct network security areas for application robustness. Here are some of the most common vulnerability assessments:
1. Network-Based VulnerabilityAssessment
Network-based vulnerability assessment is the identification, analysis, and mitigation of security weaknesses in a corporate network. The aim is to find vulnerabilities like malware, DDoS, or brute-force attacks that may let attackers breach the organisation’s network infrastructure.
Testing Methods
- Black Box: A tester (ethical hacker) doesn’t have any information about the target network before testing. They will simulate an external scan.
- White Box: Contrary to black box testing, in the white box method, the tester has complete information about the target network and system. They simulate a scan inside-out, providing a view of the system’s core parts.
- Gray Box: In this case, the tester’s knowledge or access to the target network is limited.
Methodology
- Network Vulnerability Scan Planning and Design (1–10 days): Begin with an objective definition for the vulnerability assessment, such as network segmentation checks, malware scanning, or preparedness testing for audits like HIPAA. List network segments and software to scan and then select a vulnerability assessment tool that supports the bypass of network firewall rules when needed. For internet-exposed segments, execute an external scan; otherwise, create an internal scan for the internal corporate network. Then, schedule the scan during off-peak hours.
- Configuring the Scan (~1 day): Define target IPs and assign these to hardware or software assets. Then, append the addresses to the vulnerability assessment tool. It will scan the network for open ports using protocols (TCP, UDP) to target. Set scan aggressiveness to medium to achieve maximum thoroughness and stability with no complete network disruption. Configure scan duration and enable notification for completion and critical findings.
- Scanning for Vulnerabilities (1–5 days): Run the automatic scan with manual tweaks when needed. The use of a combination of automated and manual scanning ensures that even the slightest information gets captured while not burdening the resources dedicated to the network, focusing on the accuracy of the details about vulnerabilities.
- Analysis of Scan Results (1–3 days): Analyse the findings to reduce false positives and confirm the real vulnerabilities. Then, perform the root cause analysis and obtain the impact for each vulnerability, ranking the problems based on their risk. Simulated real-life attacks through penetration testing may be recommended for understanding the deep security of the network.
- Reporting the Vulnerabilities Discovered (1–2 days): Prepare an executive summary with project highlights, along with a more detailed report, listing the vulnerabilities with their descriptions, categorisation by criticality and risks, and recommended remediation steps. Include vulnerability assessment methodology and tools for transparency and review with all stakeholders for informed security improvements.
2. Host-Based Vulnerability Assessment
A host-based vulnerability assessment is very essential for finding loopholes in the security of individual host systems, such as servers, workstations, and laptops. These scans identify vulnerabilities in operating systems, applications, and services, including web servers, file storage, databases, and directories that remotely support them.
Methodology
- System Identification and Configuration (1-2 days): This step involves discovering the OS of the host system, which application is running in it, and what is installed on the system. It may include service types such as HTTP, FTP, DNS, and database servers.
- Vulnerability Scanning (3-5 days): An automatic Nessus, OpenVAS, or Qualys host-based tool will scan the system hosts for known vulnerabilities. They will check for missing patches like CVE identifiers, NVD, outdated software versions, and possible misconfigurations and services such as SMB and Telnet.
- Risk Analysis and Reporting (2-3 days): After automated scanning, manual scans will be performed by security experts for accurate analysis. After that, a vulnerability assessment report of the system will be generated with predefined security knowledge (e.g., CVE, CWE, NVD). The tools will compare these knowledge bases against the vulnerabilities of the system, analyse all the possible risks – either at critical, lower level threats, or exploitable weaknesses, and suggest the necessary patches or configurations for reduced risk against potential cyber-attacks.
3. Application-Based Vulnerability Assessment
An application vulnerability assessment is crucial for identifying and mitigating security risks in software applications, such as websites, mobile apps and APIs. This process helps detect vulnerabilities like SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and other threats outlined in the OWASP Top 10. By assigning severity levels to each risk, it recommends remediation steps for enhanced security.
Methodology
- Preparation (1-2 days): Define the scope of the vulnerability assessment and identify key application components such as the front-end, back-end, databases, and authentication mechanisms. Gather relevant data like source code, configuration files, access control lists, user roles, and any third-party integrations or libraries that may be involved in the application.
- Automated Scanning (2-3 days): The scan utilises a combination of dynamic analysis (DAST) and static analysis (SAST) techniques. OWASP ZAP or Burp Suite are commonly used vulnerability assessment tools for automated scanning. They detect common vulnerabilities from the list of OWASP Top 10 Risks 2021 ranking, including the following:
- A01:2021-Broken Access Control
- A02:2021-Cryptographic Failures
- A03:2021-Injection
- A04:2021-Insecure Design
- A05:2021-Security Misconfiguration
- A06:2021-Vulnerable and Outdated Components
- A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures
- A08:2021-Software and Data Integrity Failures
- A09:2021-Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
- A10:2021-Server-Side Request Forgery
These tools scan for known weaknesses by reviewing code, network traffic, and server configurations. However, manual scans are performed to detect complex vulnerabilities like Insecure Design (A04:2021) or Server-Side Request Forgery (A10:2021), which automated tools might miss.
- Analysis and Reporting (2-3 days): Document the findings, categorise vulnerabilities based on severity, and propose remediation strategies.
4. API-Based Vulnerability Assessment
API vulnerability assessment aims to identify potential security vulnerabilities in HTTP and other protocol APIs. It scrutinises an API’s design, implementation, and deployment aspects, looking for weaknesses or design/implementation flaws to achieve robust security and resilience. This vulnerability assessment is done based on a continuously developed model which in most cases gets integrated with the DevOps pipelines for continuous feedback.
Methodology
- API Endpoint Discovery and Threat Modelling (1-2 hours): Vulnerability assessment tools like OpenAPI and Postman Collections identify all API endpoints along with their specifications and show possible attack paths emanating from the API design and functional usage.
- Automated Asset Scanning (2-6 hours): Upon being deployed, Seeker® and Continuous Dynamic™ scan every API route and endpoint for possible vulnerabilities in real time.
- Fuzz Testing & Vulnerability Scanning (2-3 hours): Input invalid, unexpected, or random data into the system for eliciting bugs and simulating the behaviour of potential attackers against the platform. It exposes security vulnerabilities that are not commonly known. With a combination of automated tools and manual testing, the following OWASP API Top 10 vulnerabilities are scanned and detected:
- API1:2023 Broken Object Level Authorization
- API2:2023 Broken Authentication
- API3:2023 Broken Object Property Level Authorization
- API4:2023 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
- API5:2023 Broken Function Level Authorization (BFLA)
- API6:2023 Unrestricted Access to Sensitive Business Flows
- API7:2023 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
- API8:2023 Security Misconfiguration
- API9:2023 Improper Inventory Management
- API10:2023 Unsafe Consumption of APIs
- Compliance Validation and Reporting (2-3 hours): Provide a detailed report on discovered vulnerabilities along with fixes and mitigation strategies. Ensure the API is compliant with the standards of the industry like OpenAPI Specifications.
5. Wireless Vulnerability Assessment
Wireless networks are integral to modern communication but come with inherent security risks. A comprehensive wireless network vulnerability assessment helps identify vulnerabilities caused due to misconfigured Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS), Access Control Lists (ACLs), encryption methods such as WPA2 or WPA3, or authentication mechanisms like 802.1x. This type of vulnerability assessment uses a mix of active and passive techniques. Active testing includes simulated attacks, while network traffic analysis falls under passive techniques.
Methodology
- Preparation and Planning (1-2 Days): The very first step of preparation deals with the scoping of the vulnerability and figuring out the critical assets to be protected, like SSIDs, signal strength, access point locations, etc. Then, you need to choose the right vulnerability assessment tools like Aircrack-ng for vulnerability scanning and Kismet for rogue access point detection.
- Reconnaissance and Network Mapping (2-3 Days): It involves collecting information about all the devices in your wireless network infrastructure, from active wireless devices to access points, using tools like Wireshark and NetStumbler. It tries to map a network topology.
- Vulnerability Scanning (2-4 Days): Automated tools and manual scanning will now scan for potential threats, like weak encryption of WEP and TKIP and insecure authentication methods and firmware. Usually, Aircrack-ng and Kali Linux are used to test the types of encryptions used and configurations done on the access points.
- Penetration Testing (3-5 Days): Simulated attacks, including password cracking, DoS, MITM, and Evil Twin attacks, are executed to check the resilience of the network. It may comprise an ARP spoofing or de-authentication attack on the network defence. Vulnerability assessment tools like Kali Linux and Wireshark are typically implemented.
- Reporting and Recommendations (1-2 Days): A detailed report is presented outlining the identified vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and mitigation strategies, including the implementation of IDS/IPS systems (Snort, Suricata) and blockchain integration in encryption and authentication protocols.
Selecting the Right Type for Vulnerability Assessment for an Enterprise
Choosing an effective methodology for vulnerability assessment depends on the needs of the organisation in question, as well as the complexity of its infrastructure. To help determine the best approach, the below table compares the key features of each type of vulnerability assessment:
| Vulnerability Assessment Type |
Target System |
Average Cost |
Tools Used |
Applications |
| Network-Based Assessment |
Network devices like switches, routers, firewalls, and other components of a network infrastructure |
Starting from £4,000 |
Nessus, OpenVAS |
● Segmenting the IT network into multiple zones based on the security needs of specific network components
● Reconfiguring of security software for maximum network protection |
| Host-Based Assessment |
Individual host systems or endpoints, like workstations, servers, and laptops |
Starting from £2,500 |
Qualys, Rapid7 |
● Detecting vulnerabilities that could be exploited by insider threats or compromised internal accounts.
● Continuously identifying missing patches and outdated software to maintain up-to-date and secure host environments. |
| Application-Based Assessment |
Layer 7 software applications, including websites, mobile apps and APIs |
Starting from £3,500 |
Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP |
● Identifying vulnerabilities such as incorrect registry, file permissions, and software configuration errors
● Incorporating security assessments into the software development lifecycle to identify and remediate vulnerabilities early in the development process |
| API-Based Assessment |
HTTP and other API protocols |
Starting from £2,000 |
OpenAPI, Postman Collections |
● Securing APIs that connect microservices within an application architecture prevents unauthorised access and data leakage
● Integrating API vulnerability assessments into CI/CD pipelines for continuous security testing and immediate remediation |
| Wireless Assessment |
Wireless networks, including Wi-Fi networks |
Starting from £1,900 |
Aircrack-ng, Kismet |
● Identifying and mitigating unauthorised access points that could be used by attackers to infiltrate the network.
● Securing devices that connect to wireless networks, including BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios prevents vulnerabilities from compromised devices |
Advanced Techniques for Effective Vulnerability Assessments
Organisations can further increase their vulnerability assessments by implementing more modern and advanced techniques:
1. Contextual Risk Analysis
Conduct vulnerability assessments using Bayesian inference models, combining asset value data, Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) scores, and exploit probability metrics. This approach quantifies potential impact based on threat intelligence, enabling organisations to focus on high-risk vulnerabilities.
2. CI/CD Code Review
Integrate static analysis security testing (SAST) tools such as SonarQube and Checkmarx within CI/CD pipelines using REST APIs. These tools enforce coding standards and conduct automated scans for CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) identifiers and OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities before deployment, ensuring continuous security hygiene.
3. Behavioural Analytics
Use advanced statistical models and machine learning algorithms (e.g., K-means clustering, principal component analysis) to monitor baseline system behaviour and flag deviations. It is crucial to detect insider threats through anomalous access patterns, lateral movement, and unusual privilege escalations in host-based security systems.
Conclusion
Periodic vulnerability assessments are required to detect security threats and rectify them. Proper selection of the methodologies of vulnerability assessment along with other modern techniques would ensure a holistic and wholesome security strategy for an organisation.
FAQs
1. What vulnerabilities are typically identified?
Common vulnerabilities include misconfigurations, outdated software, insecure access controls, and weak encryption protocols.
2. How can vulnerability assessments improve an organisation’s security posture?
By proactively identifying and fixing security flaws, vulnerability assessments help reduce the risk of data breaches and system compromises.
3. Can vulnerability assessments affect system performance?
Some types of vulnerability assessments can temporarily impact system performance, especially on resource-intensive networks. However, these scans can be scheduled during off-peak hours to minimise disruptions.
