Vulnerability vs Exposure

[Samhith]

What is Vulnerability and Exposure? How are the different from each other?

[Shreya]

In the industry, we have noticed these words are often used interchangeably. Furthermore, there’s a growing perspective that exposure management represents an elevated version of vulnerability management.

Consider this: when a vulnerability is exposed, it transforms into a potential threat. Therefore, risk can be quantified as the probability of a threat exploiting a vulnerability, multiplied by its exposure.

Threat = Vulnerability x Exposure. So, Risk = Probability of Threat (Vulnerability x Exposure))

To gain a comprehensive understanding of threat dynamics, it is paramount to analyze vulnerabilities and exposures both independently and in combination. This nuanced examination provides invaluable insights into the potential risks an organization may face.

Coming back to our question, Why is Vulnerability Management not effective?

Why is Vulnerability Management not Effective?

Firstly, our focus often narrows down to what we commonly refer to as ‘software vulnerabilities.’ While undeniably crucial, they represent only a portion of the vulnerabilities attackers are keenly aware of. Even here, our efforts fall short. Timely discovery and mitigation are often lacking, and we tend to rely on point solutions. It is not continuous, nor automated.
Secondly, a whole array of vulnerabilities often escapes our scrutiny. Misconfigurations, non-functioning security controls, unwanted or unnecessary IT components, posture anomalies – the list goes on. These hidden vulnerabilities are what attackers exploit, often with devastating consequences.

[Author]

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