As the sun set on the city, the team at Acme Inc. had just wrapped up another long day. The cybersecurity experts had spent hours poring over the latest threat intelligence reports, trying to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of cyber attacks.
It was a daunting task, to say the least. In 2021 and 2022, the National Vulnerability Database had listed over 200,000 entries, and more than 8,000 vulnerabilities had been reported in the first quarter of 2022 alone. As the team at Acme well knew, 80% of exploits were being published before CVEs were even released, leaving businesses vulnerable and exposed.
Despite their tireless efforts, the team at Acme knew that they couldn't keep up with the volume of vulnerabilities and threats they were facing. A recent study had shown that 84% of companies had high-risk vulnerabilities that could be removed with a simple software update, but few were taking the necessary steps to protect themselves.
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This was especially true for small businesses. According to industry reports, 43% of cyber attacks were aimed at small businesses, yet only 14% of these businesses were prepared to defend themselves. With limited resources and budgets, it was difficult for these companies to keep up with the latest threats and vulnerabilities.
But the challenges weren't limited to small businesses. Companies with more than 10,000 employees had the most critical severity vulnerabilities, while companies with less than 100 employees had the least amount of high-severity vulnerabilities. It was clear that the problem of vulnerability management was widespread and affecting businesses of all sizes.
As the team at Acme sat in the dimly lit conference room, they knew they needed to take a different approach. They had to find a way to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that were slipping through the cracks, to prioritize which ones to fix first, and to streamline the process of vulnerability management.
That's when they started exploring TTP level cyber threat susceptibility assessments as part of a Continuous Threat Exposure Management program. This type of assessment helped them identify misconfigurations and missing or weak security controls, and gave them a better understanding of the types of attacks that were most likely to target their organization.
By combining this approach with vulnerability scanning, they were able to take a more holistic approach to vulnerability management. They could identify vulnerabilities that had been present for years, as well as new flaws that had been introduced in recent software updates. And with a clear understanding of which vulnerabilities were most critical, they could prioritize their remediation efforts and reduce the likelihood of a successful attack.
The team at Acme knew that vulnerability management would always be a challenge, but by taking a more proactive and strategic approach, they could better protect their business and their customers. With the right tools and techniques in place, they could stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape and keep their company safe in the digital age.