Cybersecurity

Audit logs are essential for ensuring the security of an organization’s information systems. They track all events that occur within a system, including log-on attempts, file access, network connection, and other crucial operations. Should

But, without proper management, audit logs are mostly a wasted opportunity – nothing more than scraps of data whose importance and potential are never harnessed. This article discusses the three critical steps to take when setting up audit logs and what factors to consider while investing in audit logging tools.

What Is an Audit Log?

An audit log (an audit trail) is a chronological record of all activities and security events within a computer system or network. Audit logs are typically used to track and monitor access to sensitive data, changes to system settings, and other specific events that may affect the system’s integrity.

As part of an audit management process, audit logs record a comprehensive account of system activities, including the user who performed the action, a timestamp of occurrence, and other pertinent information. This data can be used to uncover potential security threats or compliance breaches, diagnose file system or network device issues, and monitor system performance over time. Audit logs are also invaluable evidence when your IT systems undergo an outside audit.

Why do you Need Audit Logs?

Audit logs help you maintain compliance by verifying that specified steps were taken. Recovering the sequence of modifications initiated by a particular user or on a given day is crucial for demonstrating compliance with regulatory frameworks such as ISO 27001 or SOC2.

Another benefit of audit logs and compliance is offering legal proof that data breaches have happened. Without audit logs, breaches might go undiscovered for months or years, and any evidence of their presence may be inconclusive. A thorough audit trail indicates when customers and regulators should be contacted. It can show insurers that a breach occurred or fight against a lawsuit by establishing the integrity of your system.

Audit logs also enable you to recreate the events that resulted in unexpected behavior or a security violation. After discovering an issue, you may examine the audit trail and replicate the activities documented in a new development environment. This can assist in replicating the problem and determine how the attackers got access.

Finally, a thorough audit log implementation requires you to identify the critical points in your system that impact your organization’s past and future operations. 

Each audit event promotes responsibility, gives you visibility into changes, and helps you identify potential risks. They indicate to developers, legal teams, consumers, and regulators that you are actively managing risks.

Types of Activity an Audit Log Can Track

An audit log can track various activities and events within a computer system. The main types of activity that an audit log can track include:

1. User activity. This includes logins, logouts, and any actions a user performs while using the system.
2. Access control. The audit log can monitor alterations made to access rights and permissions and track efforts to access restricted areas of the system. Plus, the log can offer details on attempts to bypass access controls by detecting changes to security settings.
3. System events. This includes events such as shutdown, startup, and system logs. The audit log can provide information about system functionality and performance issues.
4. Data access. This includes any attempts to access or modify sensitive information within the system, including file access, database queries, and data backups.
5. Configuration changes. Changes to the system configuration can include changes to network settings, software installations, and web servers. The audit log can track configuration changes and provide information for troubleshooting and system maintenance.
6. Security events. This includes any events related to system security, such as firewall rule changes, virus scans, and intrusion detection system alerts. The security audit log can provide detailed information about security events and help identify potential security threats.

3 Best Practices for Audit Logging

Below are three critical best practices for managing your audit logs.

1. Define clear logging policies

Logging policies are the foundation for effective audit logging. Policies ensure that all events are appropriately recorded and easily accessible. As such, develop a well-defined logging policy that accurately outlines what events will be logged and how long the logs will be retained.

The policy should also indicate who can access the logs and confirm that all team members are responsible for maintaining the logs’ integrity.

1. Protect the logs using a fail-safe configuration

When configuring an audit logging system, prioritize security by implementing a “fail safe” option instead of a “fail open” option. While the latter may seem appealing as it allows continued operation regardless of the situation, it’s not recommended for access control logging, which is the focus of audit logging.

A “fail safe” option (such as redundant storage or frequent backups) protects other system components by including an “external bypass” to let you access the log files even if your other IT assets suffer significant disruption. Use this option to ensure the safety of log files and user accounts and prevent security breaches caused by malware.

1. Use automated log collection and analysis tools

Manual log analysis is time-consuming and susceptible to errors, which may delay the detection of security threats. Automated log analysis tools offer the ability to collect and analyze large volumes of log data from multiple sources, including network devices, servers, and applications.

Automated tools can discover anomalies and suspicious activities that indicate a potential cybersecurity security threat by automatically parsing and correlating log data.

Audit Logging Tools: What to Look for?

When selecting an audit logging tool, you should consider several factors. Here are some essential features to look for:

• Comprehensive log management capability. The tool should be able to capture all relevant system and user activity, including access control changes, system events, and data access.
• Real-time monitoring and notifications. Your audit logging tool should monitor logs in real time and provide alerts when suspicious or unauthorized activity is detected.
• User-friendly interface. You’d want your chosen platform to have an intuitive, straightforward interface, allowing easy log searching, filtering, and analysis.
• Compliance with relevant standards. When selecting an audit logging tool, ensure it meets all applicable compliance requirements. This includes complying with relevant industry and regulatory standards, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
• Robust reporting and dashboard features. A solid audit logging solution should provide dashboards with a high-level overview of log events. It should also offer a customizable reporting feature to generate detailed reports on log entries.
• Scalability and performance. Ensure the platform you invest in can handle large volumes of log data and provide fast analysis capabilities, even as the volume of data grows.
• Data retention. With a cloud-based solution, the tool should store log data for an extended period, for example, at least 90 days or more. This ensures that you have access to historical log data, which you can use for forensic analysis, compliance auditing, and other vital tasks.
• Pricing. Finally, your chosen tool must be priced appropriately for your organization’s budget and provide good value for the capabilities offered.

How do I Ensure my Audit Trail is GDPR Compliant?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does not explicitly require audit logs. However, many data protection authorities believe logs to be an effective means of showing compliance, and “demonstrating compliance” is a crucial aspect of GDPR compliance.

Logging instances of data processing activities is a best practice that may (and should) be done in the following scenarios:

• Tracking data access, including who accessed what and when. If data access occurs via a unified interface (UI or API), you may log all data access and demonstrate that only authorized workers viewed the data.
  This means that search results in your CRM-like system should not contain too much information; otherwise, monitoring would be more problematic, as the back office user sees data about several data subjects on one page.
• Tracking data alterations. One of the GDPR principles is “integrity”. You must maintain the data right; thus, any changes should be documented. This allows you to rebuild a previous state or demonstrate that changes occurred for a specific cause. This again relies on a centralized interface.
• Logging GDPR-specific activity, such as when a data subject asserts their rights. Each request may be securely logged so that you can demonstrate to authorities the full sequence of events pertaining to the individual data subject.
• Logging permission and its related conditions, such as date, time, IP address, etc. Then, you may log consent withdrawal, and the data subject’s consent history will be viewable in one location, allowing you to demonstrate to regulators when you had and did not have consent to process.

Standard database entries may handle some of these cases, but having them securely documented in a tamper-evident manner provides further assurance, and no regulator can argue that you backdated or edited a record.

Proper GDPR-related logging needs some design considerations. Companies frequently choose to establish a centralized personal data storage accessed via a limited API, thereby functioning as a gatekeeper. In that manner, every call to the datastore API would be considered an audit trail event.

Audit Logs for Security and Compliance

The ZenGRC empowers organizations to streamline the management of audit information of compliance activities by facilitating the consolidation of audit logs from multiple sources into a single repository. By having a singular source of information, audit logging staff can communicate more effectively, minimizing the potential for errors and miscommunications.

Also, ZenGRC’s role-based authentications enhance audit log security and integrity. Access controls ensure that only authorized individuals can access the audit log information.

Schedule a demo and see how ZenGRC can help you simplify compliance automation and security audit log management.

In an age where our personal, professional, and even political spheres are intricately intertwined with the digital realm, the protection of our cyber environments has never been more critical. From large multinational corporations to individual smartphone users, everyone is vulnerable to the increasingly sophisticated world of cyber threats. Yet, while most people are somewhat aware of terms like “malware”, “phishing”, or “ransomware”, fewer understand the backbone that allows organizations to effectively combat these threats. Big and small organizations face daily risks of hacking and data breaches, and the best way for an organization to address these challenges is to implement a strategic, well-developed cybersecurity plan to protect critical infrastructure and information systems: a cybersecurity framework.

This article delves into the essence of a cybersecurity framework, its pivotal role in safeguarding our digital landscapes, and why every organization, regardless of size or sector, should be intimately familiar with its structure and tenets. Join us as we navigate the digital battlements that keep our data secure.

What is a cybersecurity framework?

A cybersecurity framework is a structured set of guidelines and best practices designed to help organizations manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with their information and technology systems. The goal of the framework is to reduce the company’s exposure to cyberattacks, and to identify the areas most at risk for data breaches and other compromising activity perpetrated by cybercriminals. At its core, it provides a common language and systematic approach for ensuring an organization’s digital assets, infrastructure, and data are adequately protected against cyber threats.

The Purpose and Components of the Framework

The primary objective of any cybersecurity framework is to offer a holistic strategy for defending against cyber threats. To achieve this, a framework typically consists of several components, including: standards, guidelines, best practices, and processes. These components work together to help organizations identify potential vulnerabilities, protect critical assets, detect anomalies or breaches, respond to threats promptly, and recover effectively after an incident.

The Role of Cybersecurity Frameworks in Organizations

For businesses and institutions, adopting a cybersecurity framework isn’t just about avoiding potential cyberattacks. It’s about ensuring business continuity, protecting brand reputation, maintaining customer trust, and meeting regulatory compliance requirements. By adhering to a recognized framework, organizations can demonstrate to stakeholders, partners, and customers that they have a robust cybersecurity posture and are committed to maintaining a safe digital environment.

Adaptable and Evolving Nature of Frameworks

It’s essential to note that a cybersecurity framework is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different organizations have varying risk profiles, assets, and requirements. Thus, most frameworks are designed to be adaptable, allowing organizations to tailor them to their unique needs. Furthermore, as the cyber threat landscape continuously evolves, so too must these frameworks. Regular updates and revisions ensure that the strategies and practices remain relevant in the face of new and emerging threats.

A strong cyber risk management framework is closely intertwined with the organization’s risk management strategy and risk management programs. Combined with the use of updated information technology and artificial intelligence, a solid cybersecurity risk management framework can be an excellent way to stave off cyber attacks.

Using the NIST cybersecurity framework as your baseline

If developing and implementing a cyber risk management framework from scratch feels intimidating, fear not. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued many frameworks for security issues. One of the best known is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), a set of guidelines that were originally developed for government entities and have since been adapted for private sector use. Not only does CSF provide a framework to understand cybersecurity risk management, it also includes guidelines to help companies prevent and recover from attacks.

NIST compiled these standards — which are optional; some other NIST standards are required for certain businesses, but the CSF isn’t — after then-President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2014. The executive order aimed to establish a cybersecurity framework to help protect the country’s critical infrastructure and federal information.

There are five main functions of NIST’s cybersecurity framework:

1.     Identify. Companies must first examine and categorize their supply chain and work environment, to better understand which cybersecurity risks their systems, assets, data, and frameworks are exposed to. This process is also known as a cybersecurity risk assessment, and it provides a baseline for day-to-day risk.
2.     Protect. Organizations must develop and implement appropriate safeguards to limit or contain the effects of possible cybersecurity events. Protection includes cybersecurity monitoring programs, firewalls, and physical security controls such as locking the door to your data center. Protection requires continuous monitoring to be efficient and safe.
3.     Detect. Organizations must implement appropriate procedures to identify cybersecurity events as soon as possible. A clear methodology should be established so everyone within the organization knows what to do in case of a cyber attack.
4.     Respond. Have an incident response team in place before you need it. Make sure all stakeholders are involved in this part of the planning, and that there is a clear chain of command from the moment the cyber attack has been identified until it’s mitigated.
5.     Recover. Mitigation is a big part of recovery. It includes plans for how you will best restore crucial functions and services, as well as a catalog of temporary security controls to implement as soon as your systems have been compromised by a cybersecurity event.

Compliance and industry-specific requirements

The risk management process and the tools you use to determine cybersecurity risk may be the same across industries, but some businesses — such as those that manage healthcare or human resources or credit card payments — have specific requirements for their cybersecurity programs and also for response and recovery. For example, a company that handles credit card transactions must prove that it complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) framework. This would require the company to pass an audit.

A strong cybersecurity framework can provide excellent guidance as you work through the layers of risk assessment. When applied properly, a cybersecurity framework allows IT security leaders to manage enterprise risks more efficiently. The NIST model allows an organization to adapt an existing cybersecurity framework to meet its needs or provides guidance for the organization to develop one internally.

Top Cybersecurity Risk Frameworks

Let’s review the six most common cybersecurity frameworks.

1. NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity or NIST Cybersecurity Framework focuses on protecting critical infrastructure like power plants and dams from cyberattacks. But any organization seeking to improve its cybersecurity can apply its principles.

The core of this cybersecurity framework follows the standard pattern of cyber defense: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. It provides an organized mechanism to identify risks and assets requiring protection and lists the ways an organization can protect these assets in the event of a security incident through effective risk detection, threat response, and asset recovery.

2. ISO 27001 and ISO 27002

Established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 (also called ISO 27k) is the international standard for validating an organization’s cybersecurity program internally and across third parties. If a vendor is ISO 27001/2-certified, it means they have mature cybersecurity practices and controls in place.

Under this framework, it’s assumed an organization already has an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It requires management to consider all threats and vulnerabilities to systematically manage the organization’s information security risks. This should be followed by designing and implementing information security (InfoSec) coherent and comprehensive controls to effectively mitigate identified risks.

The framework also encourages organizations adopting ISO 27001/2 to have an ongoing risk management process in place.

3. SOC2

Established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Service Organization Control (SOC) Type 2 is a trust-based cybersecurity framework and auditing standard that can be used to verify vendors and partners are indeed managing client data securely.

It’s a comprehensive framework with more than 60 compliance requirements and extensive auditing processes for third-party systems and controls. These orders can take about a year to complete, after which a report is issued attesting to a vendor’s cybersecurity posture.

Expectedly, SOC2 is also one of the toughest cybersecurity frameworks to implement, especially for organizations in the banking or finance sector that face a comparatively higher standard for compliance. Regardless, it’s an important framework that should be a critical part of your third-party risk management program.

4. HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a cybersecurity framework for healthcare organizations, helping them implement the required controls for securing and protecting the privacy of electronic health information. In addition to demonstrating compliance against cyber risk best practices (for example, user authentication, training employees and setting strong passwords), it also lays out the importance of conducting risk assessments to manage and identify emerging risks.

5. GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) focuses on strengthening data protection procedures and practices for citizens of the European Union (EU).

This framework impacts all organizations established in the EU or any business that collects and stores the private data of EU citizens, including businesses based in the United States or elsewhere.

Similar to SOC2, GDPA is another comprehensive cybersecurity framework. It includes 99 articles outlining an organization’s compliance responsibilities, such as consumer data access rights, data breach notification requirements, and data protection policies and procedures.

What’s more, failure to comply with GDPA can lead to hefty fines; up to 4% of global revenue or €20,000,000 — and the EU is quite strict when handing out punishments.

6. FISMA

The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) is a comprehensive cybersecurity framework designed to protect federal government information and systems, as well as third parties and lenders working on behalf of federal agencies, against cyber threats.

Under this framework, agencies and third parties are required to maintain an inventory of digital assets and identify any integration between networks and systems. All sensitive information should be categorized according to risk, and security controls must meet minimum security standards, as defined by NIST 800 guidelines and FIPS.

Per FISMA, impacted organizations should also conduct cybersecurity risk assessments and regular security reviews to continuously monitor their IT structures.

Discover the full power of ZenGRC

In the dynamic world of cybersecurity, where threats constantly evolve and compliance mandates grow more stringent, organizations require tools that can keep pace. Enter ZenGRC, a leading Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platform that has transformed the way businesses approach cybersecurity frameworks. By streamlining the management of risk, automating compliance activities, and fostering real-time collaboration across teams, ZenGRC empowers organizations to bolster their cybersecurity posture. Its intuitive dashboard offers a centralized view of risk landscapes, making it easier to identify vulnerabilities and ensure alignment with industry standards and best practices. With ZenGRC, businesses not only gain a robust tool to navigate the intricate corridors of cyber risk but also harness the potential to instill a culture of proactive cyber resilience throughout the organization.

Repairing a weakness in your IT environment is always easier than dealing with the consequences of that weakness — like, say, a massive data breach — sometime later. This means your security team must be proficient at finding those weaknesses and assessing your IT environment’s vulnerabilities.

Those vulnerabilities can include weak passwords, poor patch management, and lax security training. As a result, users could fall victim to malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and endpoint breaches — all while the antivirus software, intrusion detection, and firewalls are working perfectly. Even with all those precautionary measures in place, an unknown vulnerability can still lead to cybersecurity disaster.

How do you prevent such threats? You conduct a vulnerability assessment.

What Is Vulnerability Assessment in Cybersecurity?

A vulnerability assessment (or vulnerability analysis) is the process of identifying the security vulnerabilities in your network, systems, and hardware; and then taking steps to fix those weaknesses. It provides information the security team can use to improve the company’s threat mitigation and prevention processes.

Even the most secure IT infrastructure likely has one or more security vulnerabilities lurking somewhere in its software code. Vulnerability assessment tools can bring those threats to light, whether they’re network security vulnerabilities or host security vulnerabilities.

Generally, vulnerability assessments identify thousands of new vulnerabilities and rate them according to technical severity. The assessment, however, should also consider how security vulnerabilities could affect business processes.

Since many organizations consider vulnerability assessments to be highly technical, they perform such assessments primarily for compliance purposes. The flaw in that thinking is that it doesn’t connect your vulnerability assessments to the organization’s business risks (nor to the decisions executives make about the security function’s budget). You’ll only assess whether your IT systems comply with regulatory obligations. That’s no longer enough.

How Are Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Measured?

There are several metrics available for measuring vulnerability. Standard key performance indicators (KPIs) are not always applicable to cybersecurity, so consider using options such as:

• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): How long does it take for your team to identify a potential cyberattack?
• Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR): Once the attack has been identified, how long does it take to remediate the issue?
• Mean Time Between Failures: What is the frequency of past attacks?
• Number of Previous Attacks/Success Rate of Previous Attacks: How many security attacks have there been, and how much access was gained?
• Number of Users/Devices: Every new user or device that connects to your network increases the chance of a breach. Are there any unknown devices on the network? Have all credentials for former employees or vendors been removed?

Determining which metrics are most appropriate for your company will make it easier to conduct the assessment and judge the success of the security system as a whole.

Why Undergo a Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment?

Performing regular security vulnerability assessments allows you to:

• Identify known security exposures before attackers find them.
• Create an inventory of all the devices on your network, including critical vulnerabilities associated with specific devices.
• Use that inventory of all devices to help you plan upgrades and future vulnerability assessments.
• Define the level of security risk that exists in the IT environment.
• Help you evaluate risks versus benefits so that you can better allocate your security budget.

10 Most Common Web Application Vulnerabilities

The following are the ten most common web application cybersecurity risks:

1. Injection flaws

Injection flaws allow attackers to insert malicious code onto your web-facing applications. These vulnerabilities, such as SQL injections, can compromise systems and clients. To guard against this, rigorously validate user data, use secure APIs, apply object-relational mapping, enforce server-side validation, use SQL query constraints, and limit error message details.

2. Broken access controls

Cyber attackers use tricks such as reusing access tokens or manipulating tokens’ revocation to gain unauthorized access or privileges, which undermines access control. The repercussions are serious, including compromised sensitive information, unauthorized permissions, or even account takeover attacks by malicious outsiders.

To prevent such issues, start with robust coding practices, assuring strong password management and identity verification. Apply uniform access control measures across the application to minimize unauthorized access, and use domain models to set boundaries on business applications, preventing overreach. You should also consider restricting access to APIs and controllers to counter automated attacks.

3. Sensitive data exposure

This web security issue deals with keeping sensitive data safe. This includes using encryption for data when it’s moving around or being stored, so things like credit card information and passwords are never exposed in an unprotected form. Use strong encryption methods such as AES or RSA to bolster data security further. Also, avoid putting sensitive information in web addresses (URLs), and make sure cookies with sensitive data are marked as “secure.”

4. Insecure design

A recent addition to the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, insecure design focuses on flaws in the initial design of digital systems. Without a solid foundation, even the best security measures can fail.

To prevent design weaknesses:

• Collaborate with experts to create a secure development process to assure robust security.
• Use threat modeling to test access control, application logic, and core flows rigorously.
• Conduct penetration testing to find security loopholes from code to networks, detecting design weaknesses early.
• Include security terms in user stories, assuring that everyone understands the importance of security.

5. Security misconfiguration

Misconfigured web servers and applications are another significant risk. Instances such as running debug in production, leaky directory listings, outdated software, unnecessary services, default keys/passwords, and revealing error information are frequent. Preventive measures include establishing a robust (ideally automated) “build and deploy” process or using post-commit hooks to catch vulnerabilities before they become threats. Addressing security misconfigurations is essential in our rapidly evolving digital landscape.

6. Cryptographic failures

Cryptographic failures stem from errors in cryptography (or from its absence entirely), unintentionally exposing critical data such as passwords, health records, and credit card information.

To shield against these risks when transferring sensitive information, avoid outdated protocols such as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) or File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Instead, opt for authenticated encryption, which offers a higher level of security comparable to the distinction between a casual agreement and a legally binding contract.

Assure that cryptographic keys are generated and stored as cryptographically random arrays of bytes. If passwords are part of the equation, consider replacing them with a key using a password-based key generation algorithm.

7. Software and data integrity failures

Web applications relying on third-party components must assure source code integrity to avoid malicious code and unauthorized access. Automated updates, while convenient, can be exploited, so it’s essential to implement digital signatures and fortify your code deployment process.

Here are a few mitigation measures:

• Digital signatures: Use them to confirm data/software origin and to prevent tampering.
• Strengthen CI/CD: Employ robust access controls, segmentation, and parameterization.
• Thorough checks: Especially when sharing unencrypted data with untrusted parties.

These actions bolster your defenses, reducing the risk of software and data integrity failures and creating a safer digital ecosystem.

8. Vulnerable and outdated components

Online applications are frequently built using third-party frameworks, which can contain hidden codes that might unexpectedly cause security issues. These vulnerabilities include accent control breaches, unauthorized access, and SQL injections.

When software elements lack security, become outdated, or remain unsupported, web application vulnerabilities can emerge unnoticed. Think of the application as a complex ecosystem — from servers to databases, APIs to runtimes — where a single compromised part can trigger a chain reaction of issues. To shield against such risks, use secure sourcing of components, stay cautious of abandoned modules, and adopt a lean approach by eliminating unnecessary features.

9. Security logging and monitoring failures

When protecting the web application, security logging and monitoring are essential tools. They give you a clear view of what’s happening, alert you to incidents, and help with investigations. If these systems fail, it’s like sailing without radar: your ability to detect and respond to breaches is seriously compromised. Without proper monitoring, the web app becomes an easy target, exposing vulnerabilities that can lead to disruptions or major breaches.

10. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

SSRF can sneak into supposedly secure systems, even ones protected by VPNs, firewalls, or network access control. This attack fools web applications into sending requests to unintended places, potentially manipulating internal servers or grabbing sensitive info.

To fend off SSRF attacks:

• Divide your network into separate sections, each with a specific role, to reduce the impact of an SSRF attack.
• Set your firewall to a “deny by default” mode or create rules that only allow necessary internal exchanges, adding another layer of protection.
• Always question the authenticity of URLs to shield against sneaky attacks like DNS redirection, and stay cautious of scenarios where the check and use times differ.

How to Perform a Network Vulnerability Assessment

An effective vulnerability assessment should include the following steps:

Planning

First, determine which systems and networks will be part of the vulnerability assessment, including cloud and mobile. You also need to identify where any sensitive data resides and determine the data and systems that are most critical.

Confirm that everyone involved has the same expectations about what the vulnerability assessment will provide. Keep the lines of communication open throughout the vulnerability assessment process.

Scanning

Next, scan the system or network using an automated vulnerability scanning tool. Then you can identify security vulnerabilities and filter out false positives using threat intelligence and vulnerability databases. Performing a vulnerability assessment with automated scanning tools will give you a list of vulnerabilities, typically in the order of their severity.

There are two types of network vulnerability scanning tools: commercial and open source. Web application scanning tools scan web applications, usually from the outside, to look for security vulnerabilities including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and insecure server configuration.

The type of vulnerability scanning tool you select will depend on your needs and your budget.

Analysis

Conduct a detailed analysis of the security vulnerabilities identified by the scanning tool. Review the causes of the vulnerabilities, their potential impacts, and suggested methods to remediate them.

Next, rate each security vulnerability on the type of data at risk, the severity of the vulnerability, and the damage that could be caused by a data breach.

The goal is to quantify all of the threats, as well as their effects on the network and the business.

Remediation

Based on the vulnerability assessment rankings in the analysis step, administrators should first patch the most critical flaws. This can be done in several ways, including updating software, installing new security tools, or enhancing security procedures.

Some security vulnerabilities, however, may not have much effect on the network or the systems. In those cases, it might not be worth the money and the downtime to fix them.

Repeat

You should conduct vulnerability assessment scans regularly (at least monthly or even weekly) because a single vulnerability assessment is merely a snapshot of a particular moment. When you have a series of snapshots or reports over time that you can study, you’ll understand how your security posture has developed.

You should also conduct a vulnerability assessment whenever you make major changes to the network or systems.

What’s the Difference Between Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment?

Penetration testing is not the same as a vulnerability assessment. Testing involves simulating a cyber-attack, using specific techniques to examine the network environment, test defenses, and find holes in those defenses. A vulnerability assessment focuses on uncovering as many security vulnerabilities as possible.

Typically, pen testing should follow a network vulnerability assessment. It makes no sense to conduct penetration testing before you identify and fix the vulnerabilities you find in a vulnerability assessment. Once those vulnerabilities are found and remediated, however, penetration testing is a great way to see if your improvements work.

What’s the Difference Between Vulnerability Assessment and Vulnerability Management?

A vulnerability assessment is a specific task that’s done often because vulnerabilities can change quickly. Vulnerability management is a strategy to manage the organization’s security vulnerabilities over the long term.

Unlike a vulnerability assessment, a vulnerability management program doesn’t have a specific start and end date. Rather, it’s an ongoing process that helps the company better manage security vulnerabilities long-term.

Vulnerability assessments and vulnerability management are important parts of an effective cybersecurity plan. But always consider the results of that work within the context of the business and the existing cybersecurity infrastructure.

That is, analyze the results of the vulnerability assessment keeping the risk to the business in mind, and use those results to develop a thorough cybersecurity strategy. Doing so will allow the CISO and IT executives to spend their security budgets wisely and strengthen their cybersecurity and compliance postures.

What’s the Difference Between a Vulnerability Assessment and a Vulnerability Scan?

A vulnerability assessment and a vulnerability scan are not the same thing.

In a vulnerability assessment, an organization will review its corporate environment to identify all potential vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure that a hacker could exploit. Then you will determine what you can do to fix those security vulnerabilities.

In contrast, vulnerability scanning is a continuous assessment of your security. A risk assessment then shows whether you can accept those security vulnerabilities or prioritize them for remediation.

Together, vulnerability assessment, vulnerability scan, and risk assessment play important roles in enhancing your company’s security.

Performing Risk Assessment Along with Vulnerability Assessment

A risk assessment is also critical for understanding the various threats to IT systems. It determines the baseline level of risk these systems are exposed to, and informs an appropriate level of protection you might want to take. A risk assessment can also help the organization assess and manage third-party risks.

A risk assessment is a more comprehensive look at the company’s security vulnerabilities and offers a more complete view of its exposure. It is a thorough look at your risk threshold that includes an analysis by a professional. It’s a key part of risk management.

How ZenGRC Helps With Vulnerability Assessments

Regular vulnerability assessments, scanning, and penetration tests should be routine parts of the company’s security assessment plan because the risk environment changes over time.

The ZenGRC is a governance, risk management, and compliance tool that can support routine vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. It collects documentation, streamlines workflows, and eliminates the need for constant follow-up while tracing outstanding tasks.

ZenGRC lets organizations focus on the fundamental issues of risk management and compliance while eliminating the tedious tasks that often make the process feel like a burden.

Not only does this help compliance officers feel more effective at their jobs; it also makes organizations more efficient at the ongoing task of governance and continuous monitoring.

Schedule a free demo today to see how ZenGRC can improve your vulnerability assessments and penetration testing strategies.

Information security is the effort companies undertake to protect their enterprise data information from security breaches. Without information security, an organization is vulnerable to phishing, malware, viruses, ransomware, and other attacks that may result in the theft, tampering, or deletion of confidential information.

The average cost of a single incident can run $4.45 million. In addition to the financial burden, such events can also disrupt operations, damage the company’s reputation and cause compliance-related problems.

What Is Information Security?

Information Security (infosec) is a set of information technology practices, methodologies, and tools that allow security professionals to protect the organization’s data assets from information security risks.

An information security program aims to prevent unauthorized users from accessing, modifying, manipulating, or destroying enterprise information, thus maintaining its “CIA triad”: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Infosec aims to protect all kinds of enterprise data, including:

• Intellectual property
• Business secrets
• Customer data
  • Personal data
  • Healthcare information
  • Credit cards
• Financial data
• Other types of private information

Information security is often confused with cybersecurity, but the two concepts differ. Cybersecurity includes network security, application security, cloud security, and so forth. It protects enterprise assets from threats originating from or via the Internet.

Information security management is broader and includes physical and digital security. A cybersecurity program is a subset of your information security strategy.

Principles of Information Security

There are three basic principles of information security:

• Confidentiality
• Integrity
• Availability

Together, these principles are known as the CIA Triad. Every infosec program must follow these principles for maximum effectiveness.

Confidentiality

This first principle is meant to prevent the unauthorized access or disclosure of enterprise information; it seeks to assure that only authorized users have access to data. The confidentiality principle is considered to be compromised when someone who doesn’t have the proper authorization is able to access your organization’s data and then damage, compromise, or delete it.

Integrity

Data integrity is about maintaining the data’s accuracy, trustworthiness, consistency, and reliability. This means that the data should not be compromised or improperly modified (either inadvertently or maliciously) by someone without the proper authority.

Availability

Availability means that information is easily accessible to authorized users whenever needed, minimizing interruptions or downtime.

The CIA Triad is the foundation of information security. These three principles inform and affect one another, determining the strength and efficacy of your infosec program.

That said, other principles also govern infosec and enhance its effectiveness.

Non-repudiation

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines non-repudiation as assurance that the sender of information “is provided with proof of delivery and the recipient is provided with proof of the sender’s identity, so neither can later deny having processed the information.”

The non-repudiation principle holds people accountable for actions they take that might affect the organization’s information. Such accountability can deter bad behaviors that put enterprise data at risk.

Risk management

Risk management allows organizations to identify risks to information, then protect that information without hampering access or productivity. Risk management also helps a company determine the level of risk it is willing to tolerate and implement safeguards to reduce this risk.

Data classification

Data classification categorizes data according to type, sensitivity, and impact in case it is compromised or stolen. Data can be classified to improve access control and determine how long it should be retained.

Data classification also helps organizations understand the value of their data, identify whether it is at risk, and implement the proper information security controls and security measures to mitigate these risks. Classification also simplifies compliance with various regulatory mandates an organization might have, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS.

There are different ways of classifying data. One is by sensitivity level:

• High sensitivity
• Medium sensitivity
• Low sensitivity

Another is by access:

• Public
• Internal-only
• Confidential
• Restricted

Business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR)

Business continuity and disaster recovery are also essential security principles in infosec. Proper business continuity planning enables organizations to minimize downtime and maintain business-critical functions during and after an interruption (such as a cyberattack or natural disaster).

A disaster recovery plan helps the company regain use of its critical information systems and IT infrastructure as soon as possible after a disaster. It assures that data remains available and unchanged, which reduces the risk of data loss. Data backups and redundant systems are two common BC/DR strategies in infosec.

Change management

A formal change management process is also crucial for infosec. When data and system changes are not managed properly, that can lead to outages that affect availability, prevent authorized users from accessing the data they need, or otherwise harm security.

What Are the Seven Ps of Information Security Management?

The following are the seven Ps of information security management:

1. Policy. Policy involves defining and establishing information security policies that guide an organization’s overall approach to protecting its information assets. Policies outline rules, responsibilities, and acceptable behavior related to information security.
2. Program. Program refers to the strategic plan and management system to implement and monitor information security policies and practices. It includes risk assessments, security awareness training, incident response planning, and compliance monitoring.
3. People. People create awareness among employees about security risks and best practices, establishing roles and responsibilities, and ensuring that individuals are accountable for their actions regarding information security.
4. Processes. Processes focus on the procedures and workflows that support information security. It includes access control, incident response, change management, and vulnerability assessments.
5. Protection. Protection refers to the technical and physical measures to safeguard information assets. This includes implementing firewalls, encryption, access controls, antivirus software, and other security technologies.
6. Projects. Projects involve managing information security initiatives and improvements, such as system upgrades, security enhancements, and the implementation of new security solutions.
7. Partnerships. Partnerships emphasize the importance of collaborating with external partners, such as vendors, suppliers, and other organizations. It assures that information security is taken into account in third-party relationships and that partners adhere to necessary security standards.

Top Seven Threats to Information Security

1. Viruses and worms

A virus is malicious code that can auto-replicate and spread from one infected system to another, usually without the knowledge or permission of a user or system administrator.

Like a virus, a worm is also a self-replicating program. Unlike a virus, however, it spreads without copying itself to a host program and without any human interaction. Both viruses and worms can damage or destroy an organization’s data, network, or systems.

2. Malware

Malware is a destructive program that bypasses enterprise security systems, such as firewalls, to infect enterprise networks. It allows a malicious actor to infect, explore, or steal information. Malware comes in many variants, including:

• Adware
• Malvertising
• Botnet
• Remote administration tools (RATs)
• Rootkits
• Spyware

Attackers may attack information security (and IT security in general) with malware through many channels, including:

• Email attachments
• File servers
• File sharing software
• Peer to peer (P2P) file sharing
• Exploit kits
• Remote systems

3. Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that allows an attacker to encrypt data or lock users out of their systems. The attacker demands a ransom payment from the victim before restoring access to the data. The number of ransomware attacks worldwide stands at a staggering 493.33 million as of 2023, and the average ransom demand is $4.7 million. This is one of the biggest cyber risks today.

4. Phishing scams

In a phishing scam, hackers trick victims into revealing confidential or sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data.

Most phishing scams start with fake emails that appear to be from legitimate sources. The email includes a malicious link or attachment. When the victim clicks on the link, they are directed to the fake website, where the victim is fooled into giving up sensitive data. Sometimes opening an attachment installs malware on the victim’s system that can harvest sensitive data for the attacker.

5. Drive-by download attacks

In drive-by download attacks, malicious code is downloaded from a website to a user’s system via a browser without the user’s permission or knowledge. Simply accessing or browsing an infected website can start the downloading, allowing cybercriminals to steal sensitive information from the victim’s device.

6. Insider threats

Careless and malicious insiders are both serious information security threats. Organizations have experienced a substantial surge in the cost of credential theft, soaring by 65 percent, from $2.79 million in 2020 to a staggering $4.6 million today. Moreover, incidents that took over 90 days to contain have proven to be even more

Insider credential thieves are another problem since they steal credentials and valuable enterprise data. Insiders can be serious information security threats since they can:

• Exfiltrate sensitive data
• Sell company data for financial gain
• Steal intellectual property or trade secrets for corporate espionage
• Expose information on the dark web to embarrass the firm or damage its reputation
• Send emails or files to the wrong recipient, leading to data theft or abuse

7. Advanced persistent threats (APTs)

In an APT attack, an attacker penetrates the enterprise network and remains undetected for an extended period. The attacker’s goal is not to cause immediate damage, but to monitor network activity and steal information. These attackers are often organized crime, terrorist groups, or state-sponsored hackers.

Make ZenGRC Part of Your Information Security Plans

Power your organization’s infosec program with ZenGRC, an integrated platform that helps you manage risk and vulnerabilities across your business.

ZenGRC is a single source of truth to assure that your organization’s infosec efforts are all aligned. Policies and procedures are revision-controlled and easy to find in the document repository. Workflow management features offer easy tracking, automated reminders, and audit trails. Insightful reporting and dashboards give visibility to gaps and high-risk areas.

Meet information privacy requirements, streamline third-party risk management, and quickly identify and respond to incidents. With ZenGRC, you can do all this to protect data integrity, safeguard your business, and minimize loss events. You can even plan for worst-case scenarios and potential threats to boost your business continuity and disaster recovery program.

To see how ZenGRC can guide your organization to infosec confidence, schedule a free demo.