Vulnerability Management Policy and Procedures
Vulnerability Management Policy and Procedures
Vulnerability Management Policy and Procedures
General Overview
There are a number of generally accepted interpretations and definitions for vulnerability management,
which can be seen as the practice of identifying, classifying, remediating, and mitigating vulnerabilities,
specifically those applicable to information systems. Vulnerability management has become increasingly
important over the years, due to regulatory compliance mandates, along with increases in cyber security
threats. Vulnerabilities within one’s overall information systems landscape can cause serious harm to the
confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of critical system resources, thus appropriate measures –
such as starting with a well-documented vulnerability management program policy and procedure
document – should be developed.
And vulnerability management is often referenced when discussing the topic of patch management and
even configuration management, as all these principles seek to mitigate security issues by ensuring
systems are safe and secure through continuous monitoring, software updates and hardening procedures.
As for putting in place a vulnerability management program, organizations generally refer to the
following model provided by Gartner, a well-known and respected organization:
• Define Policy
• Baseline the Environment
• Prioritize Vulnerabilities
• Shield
• Mitigate Vulnerabilities
• Maintain and Monitor
Additionally, other organizations within the information security industry have also offered their own
vulnerability management programs, which are simply enhanced, revised, or simplified versions of the
Gartner model. They all, however, share a common theme of identification and detection, prioritization,
remediation, validation, and continuous monitoring. Interestingly, most vulnerability programs only tend
to focus on finding software vulnerabilities – often in the context of security patches – but comprehensive
vulnerability management extends to other relevant domains within an organization. The subsequent
Vulnerability Management Program Policy and Procedures within the below referenced material
incorporate all the major provisions as listed above, along with other supporting elements for ensuring a
comprehensive and in-depth document.
Identifying, detecting, classifying and prioritizing, along with remediating, validating, and continuously
monitoring vulnerabilities relating to critical information systems within an organization.
This in turn results in a well-established vulnerability management program consisting of the following
areas:
1.0 Overview
In accordance with mandated organizational security requirements set forth and approved by
management, [company name] has established a formal Vulnerability Management Program policy and
supporting procedures. This policy is to be implemented immediately along with all relevant and
applicable procedures. Additionally, this policy is to be evaluated on a(n) [annual, semi-annual, quarterly]
basis for ensuring its adequacy and relevancy regarding [company name]'s needs and goals.
1.0 Purpose
This policy and supporting procedures are designed to provide [company name] with a documented and
formalized Vulnerability Management Program policy that is to be adhered to and utilized throughout the
organization at all times. Compliance with the stated policy and supporting procedures helps ensure the
safety and security of [company name] system resources. Vulnerability Management is integral to
ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of [company name]’s critical system
resources, and every effort is to be made for properly identifying, detecting, classifying, and prioritizing,
along with remediating, validating, and continuously monitoring such vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability management is a vital component of helping ensure the safety and security of any
organization’s critical system resources as growing cyber security threats are creating significant
challenges and obstacles that must effectively be dealt with. The subsequent policies and procedures
relating to vulnerability management initiatives for [company name] strive to ensure the overall
confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of the organization’s network.
1.0 Scope
This policy and supporting procedures encompasses all system resources that are owned, operated,
maintained, and controlled by [company name] and all other system resources, both internally and
externally, that interact with these systems.
• Internal system resources are those owned, operated, maintained, and controlled by [company
name] and include all network devices (firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, other network
devices), servers (both physical and virtual servers, along with the operating systems and
applications that reside on them) and any other system resources deemed in scope.
• External system resources are those owned, operated, maintained, and controlled by any entity
other than [company name], but for which these very resources may impact the confidentiality,
integrity, and availability (CIA) and overall security of the aforementioned description of
"Internal system resources".
• When referencing the term “users”, this includes any individual that has been granted access
rights by [company name] to various system resources and has went through all required
provisioning steps. Users typically include, but may not be limited to, the following: employees,
consultants, vendors, contractors, along with local, state, and federal personnel.
• For purpose of this policy, vulnerability management is defined as the following: The practice of
identifying, classifying, remediating, and mitigating vulnerabilities, specifically those applicable
to information systems.
1.0 Policy
[Company name] is to ensure that the vulnerability management program policy adheres to the following
conditions for purposes of complying with the mandated organizational security requirements set forth
and approved by management:
• User Access Rights: Ensuring users have access rights commensurate to one’s roles and
responsibilities within the organization is a constant challenge, given the continuous user
provisioning and de-provisioning processes undertaken, the numerous systems requiring access
for such users, along with requests for changes and modifications in access rights. As for access
rights for all users – ranging from end-users of system resources, to I.T. personnel with elevated |
super-user access rights, they are to be assigned on a “need to know” basis, one that incorporates
Role Based Access control (RBAC), whereby users are granted permissions based on defined
roles for specific systems. Additional components of access rights policies – formally known as
the user identity, provisioning, & access rights lifecycle – are to include the following:
o SANS
o NIST SP 800 Publications
o United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
o National Security Agency (NSA) hardening documents
o CIS Security Benchmarks Division
o OWASP
o Vendor specific hardening guidelines
o MITRE community driven information security consortiums
• Network Architecture and Topology: Insecure network topologies and weak security
architectures – even if the systems themselves are properly secured and hardened – can result in
significant vulnerabilities for the organization. For example, a firewall by itself serving as the
main filtering point for traffic - even when properly provisioned – serves only as a single layer of
security without other layered or Defense in Depth initiatives. Utilizing industry leading security
devices, such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), load balancers, file integrity monitoring (FIM)
software, specialized firewalls (such as layer 7 web application firewalls), and other essential
tools is a requirement for protecting system resources and other information assets. As such, all
[company name] network topology documents are to be reviewed and kept current on a regular
basis for helping establish layered and well-fortified information security architecture.
• Network Vulnerabilities: The use of internal and external vulnerability scanning procedures,
along with network layer and application layer penetration tests are a critical component of
[company name]’s vulnerability management program. Scanning and penetration testing are
highly effective in identifying critical security threats, and are one of the most important
components of [company name]’s vulnerability management program. As such, these security
tools and methodologies are to be utilized on a consistent basis, both for purposes of any
regulatory compliance mandates, along with implementing best practices for proactive network
vulnerability analysis.
User Access Rights: The organization’s entire user identity, provisioning, & access rights lifecycle is to
be assessed for ensuring confirmation and existence of the following:
• Documented policies and procedures detailing the provisioning and de-provisioning process for
all users accessing [company name] system resources.
• User provisioning and de-provisioning forms and supporting checklists, templates as needed for
documenting such activities.
• Implementation of Role Based Access Control (RBAC) for users accessing [company name]
system resources.
• Appropriate segregation of duties for [company name] system resources.
Configuration Standards: The organization’s entire provisioning, hardening, securing and locking-
down methodologies are to be assessed for ensuring confirmation and existence of the following:
Network Architecture and Topology: The organization’s network security architecture and supporting
topology documents are to be assessed for ensuring confirmation and existence of the following:
• The use of various industry leading tools and protocols for ensuring a layered, Defense in Depth
strategy is utilized for protecting [company name]’s information systems landscape. Such tools
are to include, but are not limited, to the following: intrusion detection systems (IDS), load
balancers, file integrity monitoring (FIM) software, specialized firewalls (such as layer 7 web
application firewalls), and others.
• Updated, accurate, and detailed network topology documents, such as schematics, flowcharts,
multi-layered diagrams, and others. Additionally, such documentation is to be version and date
stamped, and reviewed by authorized I.T. personnel for accuracy.
Network Vulnerabilities: The organization’s vulnerability scanning and penetration testing initiatives
are to be assessed for ensuring confirmation and existence of the following:
• Vulnerability scans – from a scope perspective - include both internal and external scans for all
relevant and critical system resources, for purposes of implementing best practices initiatives,
along with complying with regulatory compliance mandates.
• Scans are scheduled to run automatically at pre-determined dates and times throughout the
calendar year, with all results being immediately reviewed and assessed as necessary.
• Penetration tests – from a scope perspective - include both network layer and application layer
tests on all relevant environments, for purposes of implementing best practices initiatives, along
with complying with regulatory compliance mandates.
Once all assessments have been thoroughly undertaken for the aforementioned areas, instances of non-
compliance and the applicable vulnerabilities related to each are to be documented accordingly in the
Vulnerability Management Worksheet, resulting in a classification of such issues, along with a
prioritization schedule for remediation.
1. Area for which non-compliance was identified (1. User access rights. 2. Configuration standards.
3. Network architecture and topology. 4. Network vulnerabilities).
2. Specific issue or concern.
3. Assigned risk ranking and urgency for remediating of non-compliance and related vulnerabilities,
such as the following:
o High: The threat source is highly motivated and sufficiently capable; controls to prevent the
vulnerability from being exercised are ineffective.
o Medium: The threat source is motivated and capable, but controls are in place that may impede
successful exercise of the vulnerability.
o Low: The threat source lacks motivation or capability, or controls are in place to prevent, or at least
significantly impede, the vulnerability from being exercised.
A risk rating deemed HIGH, is one that “The threat source is highly motivated and sufficiently capable;
controls to prevent the vulnerability from being exercised are ineffective”, and the impact of such a threat
poses serious harm to critical [company name] system resources. As for the deployment of security
patches, they are to be commenced in the following manner:
• High: 0 – 24 hours.
• Medium: Within thirty (30) days.
• Low: Within ninety (90) to one-hundred-eighty (180) days.
Because vulnerabilities identified through internal and external scans, along with network layer and
application layer penetration tests often are the most critical– in terms of immediate needs that must be
met for mitigating security threats – they are to be first in line for remediation (unless exceptions are
noted). This requires following [company name]’s documented patch management policy and
procedures, which outlines the necessary steps for assessing, testing, and deploying security patches.
Furthermore, documenting one’s classification and prioritization initiatives for vulnerability management
requires having a current asset inventory of all major system resources, such as spreadsheets, and other
necessary forms, checklists, and templates detailing essential information as discussed above.
o User Access Rights: Periodic review of the entire user identity, provisioning, & access rights
lifecycle, with findings, analysis, and recommendations reported to senior management within
[company name].
o Configuration Standards: Periodic review of critical system resources for ensuring the
applicable hardening standards are in fact being applied as required, with findings, analysis, and
recommendations reported to senior management within [company name].
o Network Architecture and Topology: Periodic review of the entire [company name] security
architecture for ensuring a layered, Defense in Depth approach is being utilized, with findings,
analysis, and recommendations reported to senior management within [company name].
o Network Vulnerabilities: Structured schedule for automated internal and external scans to be
performed, along with network layer and application layer penetration tests, with findings,
analysis, and recommendations reported to senior management within [company name].
Monitoring for issues of non-compliance and related vulnerabilities is extremely critical, as it allows
[company name] to address security issues in a proactive manner, helping mitigate harm and damage to
the organization’s critical system resources.
1.0 Procedures
[Company name] has developed and implemented a comprehensive vulnerability management process,
which encompasses the following categories and supporting activities listed below. These policy
directives will be fully enforced by [company name] for ensuring the patch management initiatives are
executed in a formal manner and on a consistent basis for all specified systems.
Note: The "Policy" sections contained within this specific policy and procedure document simply state
general best-of-breed practices that should be in place. However, the "Procedures" sections list and
describe the actual steps to undertake for ensuring compliance with the aforementioned policies. As such,
look upon the policies as statements, formal guidelines, and the general framework for a particular subject
matter. As for the procedures, these are the actual processes, steps, workflow activities and supporting
initiatives that illustrate how the actual policies are implemented. In summary, policies state what are to
be done, while procedures show you how they are done.
Additionally, if you want to provide any more information that's relevant to each section listed below,
please use the “Additional Information” box [shown under each section], as this allows you to document
any additional evidence of the procedures undertaken for meeting adherence with the stated policies. All
information in light blue text should be deleted as this information is merely stated for reference purposes.
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Configuration Standards
For Configuration Standards, please describe in detail the following: (1). What specific provisioning and
hardening documents (i.e., vendor supplied documents, internally developed checklists, etc.) are used by
your organization for the following areas:
o Routers:
o Switches:
o Firewalls:
o Operating Systems:
o Applications (Database instances, web server applications, etc.):
o Internally developed software applications:
o Other (i.e., printer software, etc.):
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Network Vulnerabilities
For network vulnerabilities, please describe in detail the following: (1). What type of vulnerability scans
are conducted (i.e., internal, external), on what environments, and how often? (2). What type of
penetration tests are conducted (i.e., network layer and application layer), on what environments, and how
often?
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
In essence, the baseline assessment conducted in the “Identification” phase must now be assessed for
compliance, with non-compliance documented accordingly for the next phase, which is
“CLASSIFICATION and PRIORITIZATION”. Please use the Vulnerability Management Worksheets
listed below or simply state what your actual procedures are for assessing compliance, along with
documenting non-compliance.
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Please use the Vulnerability Management Worksheet listed below or simply state what your actual
procedures are for remediation and validating the respective remediation efforts.
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Please use the Vulnerability Management Monitoring document listed below or simply state what your
actual procedures are for continuous monitoring.
Additional Information
General Notes | Comments:
Vulnerability Management Worksheet – User Access Rights