Enhancing your vulnerability management program with authenticated scanning

In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, maintaining a robust vulnerability management program is crucial for safeguarding your organization’s IT infrastructure. While traditional remote vulnerability scanning is effective, there’s a more powerful method that can significantly enhance your security posture: authenticated scanning. 

• Understanding authenticated vs. remote scanning 
• The role and benefits of authenticated scanning 
• Enhancing scans with WMI and remote PowerShell command execution 
• Introducing BeyondTrust integration for secure credential storage 
• Scheduled authenticated scans: A must for continuous security 

Understanding authenticated vs. remote scanning 

Remote (unauthenticated) scanning is the traditional approach where the scanner operates from outside your system, trying to detect vulnerabilities by simulating an external attack. While this method is useful for identifying exposed vulnerabilities and providing a surface-level overview of your security posture, it often misses deeper, system-level issues. This can lead to a false sense of security, as many vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers with system access remain undetected. 

Authenticated scanning, on the other hand, involves the scanner logging into the system with valid credentials (e.g., user credentials with specific privileges). This method provides the scanner with deeper insight into the system, enabling it to assess security configurations, patches, and other vulnerabilities that are not visible from an external perspective. Authenticated scans provide a more comprehensive view of your vulnerabilities, allowing you to address potential risks that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

The role and benefits of authenticated scanning 

1. Deeper visibility 
   Authenticated scanning offers an inside-out view of your systems, providing detailed insights into vulnerabilities that require valid credentials to exploit. This includes misconfigurations, unapplied patches, outdated software, and other weaknesses within the system’s core.
   
   
2. Enhanced accuracy 
   Since the scanner operates with system-level access, it can more accurately detect vulnerabilities, leading to fewer false positives and negatives. This ensures that your vulnerability management efforts are focused on genuine threats rather than chasing down non-existent issues.
   
   
3. Comprehensive coverage 
   With authenticated scanning, you can evaluate more aspects of your systems, such as user privileges, software versions, security configurations, and operating system updates (e.g., Windows KB patches, Linux packages, and macOS security updates). This holistic approach helps identify vulnerabilities that could be leveraged by attackers who gain access to your network.
   
   
4. Increased trust and value 
   By leveraging authenticated scans, your organization can uncover a higher number of vulnerabilities, thereby increasing trust in, and the value of, your vulnerability management program. Addressing these findings proactively strengthens your overall security posture and reduces the likelihood of successful attacks. 

Enhancing scans with WMI and remote PowerShell command execution 

Our authenticated network scanner includes a powerful functionality that allows the execution of remote Windows PowerShell commands via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). This feature is disabled by default to avoid triggering alerts or false positives in antivirus solutions. However, when enabled, it provides an extra level of assessment that can uncover additional vulnerabilities, such as Log4j Java executables, and other deeply embedded threats. 

To enable this advanced functionality, you need to exclude the HID-2-1-5344164 plugin, labeled ‘Disable remote command execution on windows,’ in the scan configuration settings. By doing so, you empower the scanner to perform more thorough inspections of Windows systems, thereby identifying and mitigating risks that might otherwise go undetected. 

Introducing BeyondTrust integration for secure credential storage 

To further enhance your vulnerability management program, we are excited to introduce our new integration with BeyondTrust. BeyondTrust is a leading solution for secure credential management, designed to securely store and manage the credentials needed for authenticated scanning. 

With BeyondTrust, you can: 

• Safeguard credentials 
  BeyondTrust ensures that your credentials are stored securely and managed according to best practices, reducing the risk of credential misuse or theft. 

• Streamline scanning operations 
  Integrating BeyondTrust with our vulnerability scanner simplifies the process of authenticated scanning. You can easily manage and update credentials, ensuring that your scans are always running with the most up-to-date access. 

• Enhance compliance 
  BeyondTrust helps you meet compliance requirements by providing a secure and auditable way to manage credentials used in authenticated scans. 

Scheduled authenticated scans: A must for continuous security 

If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to start scheduling regular authenticated scans. By doing so, you will instantly see an increase in the number of vulnerabilities identified, providing you with the critical insights needed to fortify your defenses. 

Regularly scheduled authenticated scans, especially with advanced features like WMI-enabled remote command execution, not only help maintain continuous security but also to track the effectiveness of your remediation efforts over time. This proactive approach ensures that your organization is always prepared to respond to emerging threats. 

Strengthen your security with authenticated scanning 

Incorporating authenticated scanning into your vulnerability management program is a game-changer. It provides a deeper, more accurate understanding of your security posture, helping you to uncover and address vulnerabilities that would otherwise remain hidden. With the added benefits of our new BeyondTrust integration and the option to enable WMI-based remote command execution, managing and securing your IT environment has never been more comprehensive. 

By enhancing your vulnerability management efforts with authenticated scanning, secure credential storage, and advanced features, you not only improve your organization’s security but also increase the trust and value of our platform. Take the step today and start leveraging these powerful tools to protect your organization against potential threats. 

Remember: Regular authenticated scans, along with advanced scanning features, are key to maintaining a secure and resilient IT environment. Schedule your next scan today and experience the difference in your vulnerability management program!