3. How Prioritization Should Be Done

To enhance vulnerability prioritization, organizations should adopt a more holistic approach that considers the entire security landscape. We call this approach the Pillars of Prioritization.

Comprehensive Inventory

The foundation of many control frameworks, including the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Security
Control 1, begins with a comprehensive inventory of assets including devices, users, software, and controls. Understanding what you have is imperative to vulnerability prioritization.

Integration of Threat Intelligence

Utilize threat intelligence feeds to understand known exploits, current exploitation trends, complexity of exploits enabling you to prioritize vulnerabilities based on real-world data.

Business Context Assessment

Evaluate the criticality of each asset based on its role within the organization and the potential impact on business operations if compromised. This assessment enables prioritization of vulnerabilities that would have the most significant implication to your operations.

Environmental Vulnerability Analysis

Identify and analyze environmental vulnerabilities such as configuration errors, unmonitored assets, and missing security controls. This analysis will reveal risks that may not be captured by traditional vulnerability assessments.