In addition to achieving lower risk scores, top 25% of Benchmark Vulnerability Management Community scan networks every 5.8 days
LONDON, UK: nCircle, the leader in information risk and security performance management, in an update to their Bellwether Metric series, has announced that the top quartile of nCircle Benchmark vulnerability management community participants achieved an average aggregate host risk score of 5.7 using the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). This segment of the community also scans their networks every 5.8 days, on average. Average aggregate host risk score and average days since the last vulnerability scan are leading indicators of vulnerability management program effectiveness.
“In spite of the discovery of critical, omnipresent vulnerabilities, such as recent Java and Internet Explorer zero-day vulnerabilities, the top two quartiles of our Benchmark vulnerability management community have been able to consistently maintain low host risk scores,” said Jim Acquaviva, vice president of product strategy for nCircle. “In contrast, we see significant volatility in overall host risk scores in the bottom two quartiles.”
Acquaviva added: “Top performers scan their networks about every five days, but companies in lower quartiles scan their networks far less frequently. This data indicates a correlation between scan frequency and effective remediation of high risk vulnerabilities. Monitoring scan frequency and risk scores with Bellwether Metrics makes it incredibly easy for organizations to accurately assess, compare and communicate the effectiveness of their vulnerability management efforts.”
Vulnerability management is a security practice designed to proactively prevent the exploitation of IT vulnerabilities and is a leading security performance management indicator. Proactively managing system vulnerabilities reduces the potential for exploitation and involves considerably less time and effort than responding to a cyber attack after a system has been breached.
nCircle Benchmark's free vulnerability management Scorecard Pack measures key performance indicators and compares the results to the Benchmark community to analyze an organization’s vulnerability management posture. The free Scorecard Pack includes:
• Average host risk score
• Average days since last scan
• Vulnerability distribution by platform
• Vulnerability distribution by severity
• Most common vulnerabilities
• High severity vulnerabilities
• Systems with vulnerabilities
• Systems with severe vulnerabilities
• Vulnerabilities by Windows version
• Systems with no vulnerabilities
• Scan schedule distribution
Members of the Benchmark Vulnerability Management Community can compare their performance on any of these metrics against other companies in their industry or their size.
nCircle Benchmark Community Bellwether Metrics are a group of simple, yet powerful measurements that indicate the overall health of a specific security discipline, and are designed to help security professionals focus their attention where it’s needed most