How to Do Vulnerability Assessment Testing?

A vulnerability assessment testing is a set of weaknesses in an IT system at a point in time to show the vulnerabilities to be resolved before hackers use them. Humans make mistakes, and since software is written by humans, it is always going to contain bugs. 

Most of these bugs are harmless, but some can become exploitable weaknesses, compromising the security and usability of the system. This open door makes it prime territory for vulnerability assessment to come in and help organizations discover vulnerabilities like SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS) that hackers could exploit. 

Let us discuss the step-by-step process of how to do vulnerability assessment penetration testing.

Why are Vulnerability Assessments Important?

In 2022, there were over 25,000 new software vulnerabilities discovered and disclosed publicly. To outsiders, this number seems alarming. But those communities familiar with cyber security are no longer easily shocked by such numbers. Sure, not all 25,000 will find their way into any organization’s systems. But all it takes is one for immeasurable damages to ensue.

Hackers are hounding the Internet for these vulnerabilities, and if you do not wish your company to be a victim, you, therefore, have to be the first to know about it. Be proactive in the management of your vulnerabilities: An important first step toward this proactive posture is having a vulnerability assessment.

Vulnerability Assessment vs Penetration Test

It’s not difficult to mix up vulnerability testing and penetration testing. Most security firms provide both, and it’s easy to blur the boundaries between them.

The simplest way to distinguish between these two options is to observe how the heavy lifting in the test is performed. A vulnerability assessment is an automated test, i.e., a tool does all of the heavy lifting, and the report is created at the end. Penetration testing is a manual process based upon the knowledge and expertise of a penetration tester to discover vulnerabilities within an organization’s systems.

The best practice would be to combine automated vulnerability tests with periodic manual penetration testing to provide more robust system protection. But not all companies are created equal, and of course, where security testing is required, their requirements are dissimilar. Therefore, if you’re just beginning and unsure as to whether or not you need to conduct a vulnerability assessment versus a penetration test, we have created a useful guide on security testing that responds to this dilemma.

What is the Purpose of a Vulnerability Assessment?

There is a significant difference between believing you’re at risk from a cyber attack and knowing specifically how you’re at risk, because if you don’t know how you’re at risk, then you can’t stop it. The objective of a vulnerability assessment is to bridge this gap. A vulnerability assessment scans some or all of your systems and creates a detailed vulnerability report. You can use the report to repair the issues discovered to prevent security breaches.

Also, with more and more companies relying on technology to get their daily chores done, threats in cyberspace, such as ransomware, can make your business grind to a complete halt within minutes. For instance, additional SaaS clients nowadays need regular vulnerability scans, and having evidence of security testing will also help you bring in more business.