There are several benefits to using a security scanner. These include reducing your attack surface, detecting default accounts and passwords, and generating customizable reports. These tools are beneficial for a variety of reasons, and are a great investment for your business. If you’re considering purchasing one, read on to learn more.
Reduce attack surface
There are many ways to reduce the attack surface of an application, including managing access and user permissions. The use of network health scans and reports to identify regular traffic patterns and vulnerabilities can also help reduce the attack surface. Other strategies include code review and regular cleanup events to remove vulnerable access points. These tactics can reduce the impact of external threats and provide a baseline for performance.
The Attack Surface of an application is the sum of its entry and exit points, as well as the channels that clients use to connect to the system. These include TCP/UDP ports, named pipes, and RPC end points. This information is then compared to the effort and damage potential of a particular attack.
An attack surface analysis helps a company improve its overall security posture by identifying weak points and future risks. The analysis process itself can be time-consuming and challenging, especially for large enterprises, but it can provide vital insights into potential attack vectors. It is also useful to create an attack surface checklist to identify blind spots and capture all potential attack vectors.
Attack surfaces can be large and difficult to secure. The larger the attack surface, the more vulnerable your system is to attacks. It can be digital or physical. It can include your operating systems, software, hardware, and even physical controls. Physical attack surfaces include data centers, computers, mobile devices, and Internet-of-Thing (IoT) devices. It’s critical to limit your attack surface to minimize risks to your organization.
Attack surface management is an ongoing process that includes continuous discovery, inventory, and security monitoring. The goal is to protect your company from cyberattacks and the risks associated with shadow IT assets. An attack surface management solution starts with discovery, which provides comprehensive visibility of all internet-facing digital assets and business-critical data.
Detect default accounts and passwords
Default accounts and passwords are a common source of attacks, and a security scanner can help detect them. Usually, these default credentials are available online, and if they are not changed immediately, they can be used to hack into other accounts or servers. It’s therefore crucial to scan your network for default accounts and passwords using a vulnerability assessment tool, such as Rapid7, Qualys, or Nessus. These tools can look for appliances that are connected to your network and test them to ensure they do not contain any default credentials.
Reduce information leakage
Security scanners help organizations minimize the risk of information leakage. They help monitor network activity and detect vulnerabilities. They can also help prevent data breaches by identifying insider threats. These tools are available from a variety of sources. For instance, the Passive Vulnerability Scanner analyzes data-in-motion. Its analysis can identify sensitive data or general types of documentation sharing. Logged events from DLP systems can also be forwarded to the Log Correlation Engine, which detects vulnerability events.
The Data Leakage Monitoring (DLM) feature presents warning indicators of data leakage based on logged events and passive detections. The indicator displays in purple when it detects a vulnerability or an event. You can then click on the highlighted indicator to view the details of the vulnerability or event. If the data leak is related to sensitive information, the tool displays the affected systems.
Another way to reduce the risk of information leakage is to educate your employees about the risks of IT and communication leaks. This way, you can encourage them to become involved in cybersecurity efforts. Employees will be more likely to be interested in protecting the company. They will also be more willing to protect the information of others.
The most critical data should be encrypted to protect against data leakage. This data should also be placed behind a comprehensive authentication method, such as two factor authentication. One of the most common causes of information leakage is people, and they should always be properly trained. Keeping track of USB drives and security software is a great way to limit the risk of leaks.
A third method to prevent data leaks is to disassociate observable data from sensitive information. While this method is not foolproof, it does help prevent the disclosure of sensitive information to outsiders. It is important to remember that a security scanner can be a lifesaver when it comes to information leakage.
Data leakage is a serious threat to the operations of an organization. The loss of sensitive information can cause significant financial and reputational damage to the company. It can also undermine the long-term stability of the organization. Leaked information can include employee/customer data, intellectual property, and medical records. According to IBM’s 2016 Cost of Data Breach Study, the average cost of a data leak is $4 million, while Juniper Research estimates that the cost of data leaks worldwide will reach $2.1 trillion a year by 2019.
Provide customizable reports
Security scanners have a number of features that enable them to provide customizable reports. One example is the ability to include any number of logos for each of the security risks that have been detected. This allows administrators to determine which ones are the most important for their organization. Security scanners also offer an overview tab that shows graphs based on information about vulnerabilities and their risk level.
Security scanners can produce a variety of reports, including map reports, scan reports, and vulnerability assessment reports. These reports allow administrators to see how the security risks affect the various hosts on their network. Reports can also include a number of filters and search options. Users can also view the report for any specific host or vulnerability, as well as the severity of each attack.
The ability to scan multiple web applications at the same time is also an important feature. This is particularly useful for organizations that run many web applications. In addition, the scanner should be able to support multiple users. Some scanning solutions require installation on each user’s workstation, while others offer a centralized web-based management interface.
The reports can be exported in various formats. One common format is excel, which has tabular information and is ideal for reporting to management and IT departments. Another format is XML, which is commonly used for automation and integration purposes. Reports can also be sent via email. They can also be password-protected to prevent unauthorized access.
Once a template is saved, users can easily customize its settings. This feature is useful when a user wants to change a specific report template. To do this, users can right-click on a finding and click on the template settings menu. Then, they can change its status from default to public or private. The latter is best for sensitive data.