# Vulnerability Assessment Tool [![Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerability-assessment.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/download.html?vulnerability-assessment) The CVE database has grown to over 339,000 recorded vulnerabilities, making it the largest repository of security flaws to date. This surge highlights how rapidly the attack surface is expanding, giving threat actors more ways to impede organizations than ever before. With hundreds of new vulnerabilities emerging every day, implementing an exposure management solution is no longer a debate; it's imperative. Vulnerability Manager Plus is a smart, comprehensive vulnerability assessment tool that saves you time and effort by helping you: - Continually detect vulnerabilities as and when they appear. - Prioritize where to focus first. - Utilize built-in patching to remediate vulnerabilities instantly. Watch the video below for a quick glance at the Vulnerability Manager Plus console. ## 4 simple steps to conduct a vulnerability assessment Vulnerability Manager Plus is a well-rounded vulnerability assessment tool that regularly scans your network for vulnerabilities, delivers insights into risk, and helps close the [vulnerability management](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/what-is-vulnerability-management.html) loop instantly with direct remediation from the console. ![Vulnerability Assessment Tools](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerability-assessment-steps.png) ## Ward off looming danger with Vulnerability Manager Plus' vulnerability assessment capabilities. ### Eliminate blind spots and keep track of your assets Eliminating blind spots is the key to efficient vulnerability assessment. As soon as it’s active in your network, Vulnerability Manager Plus automatically discovers all your Active Directory domains and workgroup endpoints. Enterprises that scale up quite often need not worry since new assets will be discovered once they're added to the network. Leveraging endpoint agent technology, you can keep tabs on your desktops, servers, laptops, virtual machines, web servers, databases, and workstations at all times. Whether your assets are in your local office, distributed across remote locations, located within a closed network like a demilitarized zone, or on the move, you can secure them all from a single console. ### Gain extensive vulnerability coverage. Detect all known and emerging vulnerabilities in all [supported Windows operating systems and over 850 third-party applications](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/supported-applications.html), including content management systems, web servers, and database software. Extend your visibility beyond just software vulnerabilities, and keep tabs on [misconfigurations](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/security-configuration-management.html), [risky software](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/high-risk-software-audit.html), [active ports](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/audit-ports-in-use.html), and more to ensure no threats fly under your radar. ### Catch vulnerabilities as they appear with continuous vulnerability monitoring. There's a chance that you might fail to take timely action when you perform manual or scheduled [vulnerability scans](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-scanner.html). Every new endpoint or software brought into your network introduces new vulnerabilities, leaving your IT exposed to prying hackers. To ward off dangers like this, you need to continually monitor your endpoints to identify and resolve new vulnerabilities as they emerge. Since Vulnerability Manager Plus utilizes [agent-based scanning](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-scanner.html), it scrutinizes your endpoints every 90 minutes for new vulnerabilities without disrupting your network operations. ### Assess vulnerability risk and prioritize response The primary goal of a vulnerability assessment is to make your data actionable. So, besides enumerating the vulnerabilities, the vulnerability assessment tool you're planning to deploy must help answer the following questions: - Has an exploit been publicly revealed for the vulnerability? - How long has the vulnerability been lurking in your endpoints? - How difficult is it to exploit the vulnerability? - Has the vendor released a patch for the vulnerability? In addition to CVSS, Vulnerability Manager Plus sheds light on risk factors such as the availability of exploits, vulnerability age, affected asset count, CVE impact type, and patch availability to help triage exploitable and impactful vulnerabilities. You can directly search for the CVE IDs you're looking for or filter them to focus on high-impact vulnerabilities. ![Vulnerability Assessment in cybersecurity](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerabilities-list-view.png) Vulnerability Manager Plus also features a security news feed that's continually updated with articles on recent vulnerabilities that attackers are discussing, experimenting with, or using, along with current exploits circulating in the wild. A dedicated zero-day view grants instant visibility into actively exploited and publicly disclosed vulnerabilities. ### See what matters most at a glimpse with dashboard widgets The vulnerability information collected across multiple endpoints is consolidated in a web console for centralized management and represented with meaningful context in dashboard widgets, translating to reliable and timely results. These interactive dashboard widgets are tailored to direct your attention to the most alarming areas in your network. #### Vulnerability Severity Summary: Trust the severity ranking. ![Vulnerability Analysis Tool](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerability-analysis.png) Don't dismiss the importance of severity rankings; they're the universal vulnerability risk assessment standard. The Vulnerability Severity Summary helps you track the number of vulnerabilities you need to resolve for each severity level, providing better visibility over how many critical vulnerabilities, like remote code execution (RCE), elevation of privilege, and wormable vulnerabilities, are left unaddressed in your network. #### Zero-day vulnerabilities: Know what you're dealing with. ![What is Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/tools-for-vulnerability-assessment.png) One of the most crucial aspects of a security vulnerability assessment is how effectively your vulnerability assessment tool keeps you informed of zero-day vulnerabilities. Zero-day vulnerabilities are the easiest targets for hackers since they are made known to the public or exploited in the wild before the vendor is able to release a patch to fix the flaw. Vulnerability Manager Plus, along with a zero-day count chart, gives you an isolated view of zero-day vulnerabilities in your network so you can identify them promptly and either patch them or use an alternative mitigation measure available while waiting for a fix from the vendor. Learn how to mitigate [zero-day vulnerabilities](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/zero-day-vulnerability-mitigation.html) with Vulnerability Manager Plus. #### Vulnerability Age Matrix: A stitch in time saves nine. ![Network Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerability-assessment-tools.png) When it comes to vulnerabilities, time is the name of the game. The time between the vulnerability announcement and the exploit code disclosure has considerably shrunk in recent years. The longer you wait, the longer you leave your network wide open to attacks. Critical vulnerabilities can often be exploited automatically without any user interaction and must be resolved immediately. Important vulnerabilities should be remediated within 30 days. Any vulnerability lower than critical or important should be remediated within 90 days. The Vulnerability Age Matrix delivers a consolidated view of the age and severity of vulnerabilities. You can view the vulnerability age from the day it's published or from the day it's discovered in your network, and filter vulnerabilities that have public exploits. #### Vulnerabilities Over Time: The fewer, the better. ![Vulnerability Assessment Process](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/security-vulnerability-assessment.png) A quick glance at the vulnerability trend can give you an idea of how well your [vulnerability management](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/what-is-vulnerability-management.html) efforts are paying off. Track your vulnerability assessment progress and stay on top of vulnerabilities. #### High Priority Vulnerabilities: Where your primary focus should be! ![How to perform Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/vulnerability-assessment-software.png) Vulnerability Manager Plus automatically curates a list of vulnerabilities that are on the verge of exploitation. This list takes various risk factors into account, such as exploitability, severity, age, and patch availability. This helps ensure that you haven't left out any essentials in your [vulnerability assessment process](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-assessment-process.html). ### Leverage built-in patching to ensure swift and accurate remediation With built-in patching functionality automatically correlating patches with corresponding vulnerabilities, you can deliver instant remediation to all affected machines directly. Customize every aspect of your patching process using flexible deployment policies, retry failed deployments, and receive notifications about deployment status at your chosen frequency. ![How to conduct Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/patch-management-workflow.png) This integrated vulnerability and patch management approach eliminates the need for multiple agents and potential delays in remediation. Vulnerability Manager Plus also provides a [separate patch management module](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/patch-management.html) to automate regular patching schedules. ### How can I view the complete list of CVEs affecting my endpoints? Vulnerability Manager Plus features a dedicated Detected CVEs view that lists all the CVEs affecting your network endpoints. Select the desired CVEs and click Fix CVE to create a patch deployment task for affected machines. ![Vulnerability Assessment Types](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/detected-cve-list.png) ### How can I access drilled-down information on vulnerabilities in individual systems? Clicking on a system takes you to a drilled-down view that clusters vulnerabilities of the system into three major categories: ![Vulnerability Assessment Checklist](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/drilled-down-view-of-assets.png) - **Software Vulnerabilities:** Vulnerabilities in the OS and third-party applications. - **Server Vulnerabilities:** Vulnerabilities in web servers, databases, or content management software. - **Zero-day Vulnerabilities:** Actively exploited and publicly disclosed vulnerabilities affecting the system. ![Software Vulnerability Assessment](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/cpc-prd-screenshot.png) ## How to perform vulnerability assessment? With vulnerabilities growing exponentially, regular vulnerability assessment is crucial to safeguard network assets. Here are the recommended steps: 1. **Scanning the managed assets** Prioritize business-critical systems (such as servers and POS devices) over others for [vulnerability scanning](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/articles/what-is-vulnerability-scanning.html). ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus allows admins to manually choose systems or scan all systems from the console. 2. **Prioritizing the vulnerabilities** Mitigate critical or high-severity vulnerabilities in business-critical or customer-facing systems first. Lower-severity vulnerabilities can be addressed in subsequent cycles. 3. **Creating a vulnerability assessment report** Generate reports to provide a holistic overview of vulnerability status. System Health Reports list systems based on the number and severity of vulnerabilities. 4. **Mitigating the vulnerabilities** Remediation steps may include patch deployment, registry changes, and configuration updates for servers, passwords, and open ports. ## The benefits of using ManageEngine's vulnerability assessment tool Vulnerability Manager Plus helps address common vulnerability management challenges: ### High-risk vulnerabilities that need to be remediated immediately Prioritize vulnerabilities by exploitability and impact, and remediate them by deploying the latest patches quickly. ### Vulnerabilities that can be patched on a scheduled basis Automate regular patching schedules to keep endpoints up to date with security and non-security patches. ### Vulnerabilities that require compensation controls until patches are available Identify zero-day or publicly disclosed vulnerabilities and apply workarounds until fixes arrive. Stay informed about obsolete OSs and applications. ### Vulnerabilities that can be exempt from patching Create custom groups to isolate high-availability servers and exclude less critical vulnerabilities to prevent downtime. Use the decline patch feature to deny problematic patches. To know more about the process, [visit here](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-assessment-process.html). ## More resources related to vulnerability assessment ![cisa cover](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/thumbnail-cisa.png) **CISA reveals the top 30 most exploited vulnerabilities since 2020** [Learn more](https://download.manageengine.com/ems/top-30-exploited-vulnerabilities-since-2020.pdf?vulnerability-assessment) ![essential-ebook-cover](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/thumbnail-seven.png) **7 essential vulnerability management questions answered** [Learn more](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/essential-vulnerability-management-questions-answered-ebook.html?vulnerability-assessment) ![cpc-top-banner](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/thumbnail-int.png) **5 benefits of integrated patch and vulnerability management** [Learn more](https://blogs.manageengine.com/desktop-mobile/vulnerability-manager-plus/2021/03/03/5-reasons-integrated-patch-and-vulnerability-management-mitigates-risks-swiftly-and-efficiently.html) ![e-book cover](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/images/thumbnail-cvss.png) **6 top risk factors to triage vulnerabilities effectively** [Learn more](https://blogs.manageengine.com/desktop-mobile/vulnerability-manager-plus/2020/10/19/6-top-risk-factors-to-triage-vulnerabilities-effectively.html) ## FAQs about Vulnerability Assessment Tools ### What is a vulnerability assessment (or vulnerability analysis)? A vulnerability assessment is the process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing security vulnerabilities that have emerged in your enterprise network. The purpose is to help enterprises identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. ### Why do you need a vulnerability assessment tool? The rise in vulnerabilities has been extremely high in recent years. Since security teams lack the resources to handle every vulnerability manually, a prioritization-focused solution is vital to detect and remediate critical flaws efficiently. ### How vulnerability assessment tool work? Vulnerability assessment tools perform vulnerability scans on endpoints to identify potential weaknesses. The tool determines the level of risk posed by vulnerabilities to help prioritize remediation. ### Is vulnerability assessment tool free? You can enjoy a 30-day free trial on download of ManageEngine's vulnerability assessment tool. It is also completely free for organizations with up to 25 devices. ### How to assess security vulnerabilities – vulnerability assessment checklist Beyond severity ratings and CVSS scores, consider: - Has an exploit been publicly revealed? - How long has the vulnerability existed in your endpoints? - How difficult is it to exploit? - Has the vendor released a patch? - Have you used a vulnerability assessment tool to extract meaningful insights? - Does the tool offer mitigation controls if a patch isn’t available? - Do affected assets include databases and web servers holding critical data? ### What are the types of vulnerability assessment? 1. **Application-based vulnerability assessment:** Scans applications for vulnerabilities, database security issues, and misconfigurations. 2. **Network-based vulnerability assessment:** Scans endpoints (servers, laptops, routers) to detect misconfigurations and unpatched software. 3. **Cloud-based vulnerability assessment:** Detects vulnerabilities in cloud-hosted applications, providers, and deployments. ### What are the benefits of vulnerability assessment? - Early identification of imminently exploitable threats. - Better understanding of priority, urgency, and impact. - Prioritized response through patching or mitigation. - Avoidance of compliance fines (HIPAA, PCI DSS). - Ability to distinguish between high-risk and low-risk vulnerabilities using [vulnerability assessment software](https://www.manageengine.com/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-assessment-software.html). ### How to choose the best vulnerability assessment tool? Consider functionality, scalability, ease of use, integration, and support. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus offers comprehensive vulnerability assessment with a user-friendly interface and extensive security features.