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Home > Vulnerability management tools: Summary/Fast track |
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Vulnerability management tools: Summary/Fast track |
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| 10 Dec 2007 | Syngress |
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Summary
In Chapter 7, we discussed the methodology behind vulnerability management.
In this chapter, we discussed what an ideal vulnerability tool features,
although we know and understand why such a tool doesn't exist. However, as
we discussed, some vendors are getting close to delivering complete solutions
in this comparatively new discipline in information security.
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| Want the full chapter? Download the .pdf, reprinted from Network Security Assessment by Manzuik, Gold and Gatford with permission from Syngress, a division of Elsevier. Copyright 2007. |
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We briefly discussed some of the players, but gave no suggestions
regarding the pros and cons of the tools because there is no one tool that fits
all the requirements of an organization. Although the open source community
has a wealth of great tools available, there isn't one tool that supports all of the
facets of vulnerability management; rather, there are bits and pieces scattered
among many authors.
To close out the chapter, we discussed some of the pros and cons of leveraging
an outsourcer to manage parts of a vulnerability management program.
It's conceivable, and many organizations do it, but it's imperative to put in
place some serious guidelines and detailed service-level agreements beforehand
to ensure that no one becomes disappointed with the delivery of the
service.
Solutions Fast Track
The Perfect Tool in a Perfect World
The perfect vulnerability management tool would include asset
management, vulnerability assessment, configuration management,
patch management, remediation, reporting, and monitoring
capabilities.
All of these components interoperate, pushing and pulling data as
each task is performed.
Evaluating Vulnerability Management Tools
No one vendor has a solution or set of technologies that completely
addresses all aspects of the vulnerability management life cycle.
Several key questions can assist you in evaluating vulnerability
management tools and, hopefully, in identifying gaps in terms of
capabilities.
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| The following Frequently Asked Questions, answered by the authors of this book, are designed to both measure your understanding of the concepts presented in this chapter and to assist you with real-life implementation of these concepts. To have your questions about this chapter answered by the author, browse to www.syngress.com/solutions and click on the "Ask the Author" form. |
Q: How do I decide which tool to use?
A: Demo the technology first. Most vendors provide trial-ware offerings of their products. Even if it's an appliance-based solution, most vendors are usually willing to provide you with a loaner unit. Managed vulnerability providers also allow for interactive demonstrations.
Q: Should I seriously consider an open source solution?
A: That depends on your aversion to technology. If you're looking for creative technologies and novel intellectual property, and you are seeking to fill a gap within your vulnerability management program, you should definitely consider open source. If your organization is taking the creation of a vulnerability management program seriously (i.e., you have a budget), you should look into a combination of commercial tools and open source tools. |
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Commercial Vulnerability Management Tools
The vulnerability management market is changing frequently due to
mergers, acquisitions, and alliances. Numerous vendors provide tools
in this space, so you must identify your needs prior to evaluating
technologies.
Open Source and Free Vulnerability Management Tools
The open source community has created some great security tools.
No one tool provides a complete vulnerability management solution.
It may not require much effort to create interoperability between
open source vulnerability management tools.
Managed Vulnerability Services
Set some serious guidelines and detailed service-level agreements to
ensure that no one becomes disappointed with the delivery of a
service.
Before selecting a vendor, confirm which products the vendor is
using and how the information is distributed to interested parties.
Ensure that you have access to the raw data.
Vulnerability management tools
 Home: Introduction
1: Evaluating vulnerability management tools
2: Commercial and open source network tools
3: Summary/Fast track
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