Let us start the article with a few questions –
- Do you frequently use the internet?
- Can you consider your mobile as your digital lifeline?
- Have you installed a lot of applications on your smartphone?
If you have positively answered any of the above questions, then have you ever thought If your smartphone is capable of protecting you from data breaches and cyberattacks?
According to numerous reports, the number of malware variants for smartphones has increased rapidly since 2014.
Mobile security has become a major concern, with the increase in cybercrimes on end-user devices.
The introduction of many security measures contributes to securing a mobile device. A security tactic should include scanning of applications installed on it along with the data and files within the smartphone. And that leads us to the most followed method for improving security – Vulnerability Assessment.
Today, we’ll try and elucidate on why continuous Vulnerability Assessments are necessary for an organization as well as additional security measures that will augment the security and defense of the organization.
Vulnerability Assessment
Vulnerability Assessment or VA as it is called is a kind of testing environment made for applications and software, that includes a set of tasks performed with the help of software to evaluate the risks involved and to check the system’s vulnerability so the organization can act on it to minimize the window of exposure.
Having a single test done on a given system won’t work. Since, information security is a continuous process and hence, only multiple tests on it will shed light on its security dynamics.
Many limitations and challenges are followed up by a systematic vulnerability assessment.
Security professionals cannot rely on a system that has been in place for a prolonged duration. A certain set and security measures are required by each and every system, and they also need to be updated with time due to the constant flow of information.
For reducing any security problems, automated scans by the systems for any possible vulnerability along with manual tests done by developers on a security breach can be of great help.
Why should a regular vulnerability assessment be performed?
While managing the security tactics of mobile or any system, Vulnerability Assessment is considered to be the greatest tool. The frequent assessments of the system’s defenses reveal the flaws in a security model and help in improving them. The recurring diagnosis of a system has its own benefits.
- Even if a flaw is repeatedly detected, performing a regular assessment can identify and address it before the attackers find it for exploitation.
- Security professionals and organizations understand the level of risks that currently exist on the system network with regular assessments.
- To optimize the security investments a business-risk curve is also established enabling maximum efficiency of the security systems.
- The position and condition of each system can also be evaluated with a vulnerability assessment. Eventually, drafting a list of all the equipment present within the network infrastructure gives information on the purpose of the equipment and the related system information that also includes the types of vulnerabilities related to a particular device.
Penetration Testing
The best possible way to identify and improve the performance of a system in order to reduce security vulnerabilities from cybercrimes is a Penetration Test. With this test, small security problems like inadequate security settings, unencrypted passwords, or even an unknown flaw can be easily detected.
The testing method consists of a sequence of actions that are similar to those present in the process of hacking, which includes the breach of security to define an approach that is a step ahead of the cyber crooks. It is recommended to conduct this test over a short and defined period of time since it is also a vulnerability assessment.
The penetration testing is further bifurcated in two commonly known security tests –
- White-box testing
- Black box testing
White Box Testing
White box testing is also known as Static Application Security Testing or SAST. This testing method consists of a series of actions based on the data available on the vulnerability of the software. Attempts are made to penetrate the security of an application from the perspective and methodology of a knowledgeable attacker, one who is aware of the security measures of a system. Due to the knowledge of the security investigations, this test takes less time than others. However, it is not considered to be as realistic.
Black Box Testing
This test is considered to be the most vulnerable kind of analysis since it tells us about the security measures of a system assuming that the attacker is uninformed. That means, it replicates a scenario when an uninformed attacker makes an attempt to breach security walls in order to access information. Due to the lack of security information on the network, the testers might not be able to perform some of the attacks, even though it replicates a more realistic cyberattack than the other test.
Alternative Security Measures
Using the same security measures for an extended period is not recommended. With the evolution of technology, new malware strains will emerge armed with the capabilities to penetrate your security. Consequently, by running multiple tests one should reduce those risks that include advanced security measures.
Some other security measures are mentioned below –
- CIS Critical Security Controls
The CIS security controls consist of a set of actions that are recommended to be followed in order to create the first line of defense against cybercriminals. - Organizational Dynamics for Information Security
The models of security along with their approach that should be taken into consideration by organizations while designing their security systems are called the organizational dynamics.
Technologies of all kinds have their own flaws and limitations. Needless to say, no system is perfect, especially the ones taken for security control. Hence, rather than focusing on building a perfect system organizations should adopt the above-mentioned security measures and work on a system that considers the basic principles, the evolving security ecosystem, digital transformation, and is practical to implement in nature.
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