Remediation Validation

Research shows that a staggering 60% of breaches occur because of vulnerabilities that go unpatched—even when a fix is available¹. Therefore, it is critical to ensure remediation validation is in place to determine the efficacy of remediation efforts. 

Remediation validation refers to the process of verifying and confirming that actions taken to address identified vulnerabilities, including patching systems or changing configurations, have successfully eliminated the threat. A closed ticket IT ticket does not signify security issues have truly been resolved.

Remediation validation involves re-scanning systems to confirm the fix was applied without any issues, the vulnerability is no longer present, and potential risk has been mitigated. The process also helps prioritize critical (un-resolved) vulnerabilities that require immediate attention, and provides evidence of compliance with security standards and regulations.

Organizations should enforce the following steps for remediation validation:

• Identify vulnerabilities through a vulnerability scan.
• Implement remediation actions like patching or configuration changes.
• Conduct a follow-up scan to verify the vulnerabilities are no longer present.
• Document the remediation process and results. 

1. Source: Sevco Security State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface

Additional Resources

• Effective Remediation is Essential