What is Vulnerability Scanning?
Vulnerability scans are a vital layer of an organisation’s defence against criminals and hackers attempting to compromise their systems.
A system that is considered secure one month ago may be considered highly insecure the next, when a new weakness is discovered. There is an increasingly rapid cat-and-mouse game as new weaknesses are discovered and then patched.
We will regularly identify any weaknesses and mitigate them, reducing the risk of being compromised and safeguarding our clients’ vital information.
Providing this additional service gives added assurance to our clients that we continue to be their IT partner and will always have the best interests of their organisation at heart as we adapt and evolve our services to reflect the challenges businesses face.
Stuart Wilson, Managing Director
Detect and Act
The vulnerability scanning service utilises a solution trusted by over 30,000 organisations worldwide, using its database of over 59,000 vulnerabilities. Each scan will be checked by our support team, with time available to carry out remedial work on any critical risks. Following the scan, the scanner automatically raises works tickets for senior engineers and consultants to review and remediate.
The solution is hosted within Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform in which we have a high level of technical capability in delivering consultancy, remediation and support.
Vulnerability Assessment Service
As part of our cyber security services, we offer a Vulnerability Assessment Service. The purpose of this is simple; to identify, assess and prevent vulnerabilities in your systems, helping to shield them from potential future attacks.
Thanks to our 25 years experience serving as an IT partner to businesses across the South West, we’ve always stayed up to date with the latest developments in cyber security.
Our vulnerability assessment service includes:
Local Vunerability Scanning & Cyber Security
With our coverage across the South West, we have extensive experience in helping local businesses understand where vunerabilities lie and how to best prepare against future digital threats. Vunerability scanning are vital to ensure that digital assets are protected, identifying risks before they turn into problems. As a local business, consistant operations are crucial to keep things running smoothly, so getting ahead of online threats is an important step to ensure this can happen.
That’s why cyber security is so important in today’s world. If you’re a local business looking to eliminate digital threats, get in touch with our expert cyber security teams and protect your systems for the future.
Voice of Experience
We asked one of our in-house security specialists about the kind of things we discover in the vulnerability scans.
Cyber attackers will focus their efforts on infiltrating an internal network using any software or hardware which is public facing. Examples of these are firewalls, phone systems, CCTV cameras or portals, web applications or remote desktop services.
Julian Dean, Service Delivery Technician
You can read more about Julian’s discoveries and experience in his blog post What We Found on Vulnerability Scans
Vulnerability Scanning FAQs
Find answers to all your vulnerability scanning questions below:
How does vulnerability scanning work?
IT vulnerability scanning is a proactive process that identifies and assesses security weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications. It is a critical step in maintaining cyber security integrity and ensuring compliance with security standards.
How often should vulnerability scans be performed?
We recommend that you perform vulnerability scans at least once a quarter, as this helps to identify potential risk throughout the year. However, the frequency of conducted scans is often down to the size of the business. For larger business and corporations, this could potentially be done once a month.
What is network vulnerability scanning?
Network vulnerability scanning is a cyber security process that is used to identify weaknesses, gaps, and vulnerabilities within a network’s infrastructure. This can include scanning devices such as routes, network switches, firewalls and enpoints. The goal is to proactively detect potential security issues that attackers could exploit within these system which will help business strengthen their defenses against such attacks.
What is the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?
The primary difference between these two services lies in their objective and depth:
- Vulnerability Scanning: An automated process to identify and report known security vulnerabilities within systems, applications, or networks.
- Penetration Testing (Pen Testing): A manual or semi-automated process that simulates real-world attacks to exploit vulnerabilities and assess the overall security currently in place.
|
Element |
Vulnerability Scanning |
Penetration Testing |
|
Objective |
Identifiy and list vulnerabilities. |
Exploit vulnerabilities to understand their impact. |
|
Depth |
Surface-level; does not exploit vulnerabilities. |
In-depth; involves exploiting and simulating attacks. |
|
Automation |
Fully automated or semi-automated. |
Primarily manual with some automated tools. |
|
Scope |
Broad, covering a wide range of systems. |
Focused, targeting specific systems or applications. |
|
Output |
Generates a report of vulnerabilities with severity and impact levels. |
Provides a detailed report on exploited vulnerabilities and potential risks. |
|
Tools |
Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS, etc. |
Metasploit, Burp Suite, custom scripts, etc. |
|
Frequency |
Often performed regularly (monthly, etc.). |
Conducted periodically or as needed (e.g., annually). |
|
Required Expertise |
Moderate; typically undetaken by trained IT staff using automated systems. |
High; requires skilled ethical hackers or security professionals. |
|
Regulatory Compliance |
Often used to maintain compliance with security standards. |
Provides deeper insights often required for audits and certifications. |
