Vulnerability Scans
Most of the devices we have on our networks today run because of the software that is loaded onto them. Whether it is our computer, network router, or a firewall, someone wrote the operating system and the applications running on that operating system. One thing many people fail to remember is that software is written by humans and humans make mistakes. Therefore, no matter who wrote the software, there is a high probability there are going to be mistakes written inside the code that leave a cracker with multiple attack vectors for compromising that piece of software. That software can be an application such as Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or even software running on your company firewalls and routers. Keeping up with software patches and security updates can be a daunting task for an organization’s IT staff that is already over burdened with other network issues.
We perform vulnerability scans against any system in your organization to test it for holes in its software or operating system. If holes do exist, we will be alerted to them which in turn allows us to make sure those systems get patched, if available, in a timely manner. The fewer the vulnerable systems, the fewer targets a cracker will have at his disposal.
We perform our scans on a regular basis as vulnerabilities are discovered on an almost daily basis. Many of these vulnerabilities will not even have patches or fixes until much later after its discovery. That slow reaction time on the part of the manufacturer can mean the compromise and potential downfall of a company’s network and its systems. Most network administrators are never aware of a vulnerability until after the manufacturer releases a patch for it. If we scan and find a vulnerability, we can place that system on alert to watch and protect it until a patch does become available. The more you know about your systems and their vulnerabilities, the better you can protect them from attack.
