100-160 Question 177
Select 3You are a junior cybersecurity technician at an organization, and your team recently conducted a vulnerability scan on the company's internal network. One of the identified vulnerabilities is a missing security patch on several servers running a critical application. Which of the following steps should you take as part of the vulnerability management process?
- A
Prioritize the vulnerability based on the criticality of the impacted application and the severity of the vulnerability.
- B
Immediately shut down all servers with the vulnerability to prevent potential exploitation.
- C
Research the vulnerability to understand its impact, exploitability, and available remediation steps.
- D
Apply the missing patch during the next scheduled maintenance window after testing its compatibility.
- E
Ignore the vulnerability since there have been no reports of it being exploited in the wild.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, D
Explanation
Vulnerability management involves identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities systematically. In this scenario, prioritizing the vulnerability, researching its impact, and applying the patch in a controlled manner are key steps. Simply shutting down systems or ignoring the issue are not considered effective or professional approaches.
- A. Correct.
Correct: Prioritizing vulnerabilities based on factors like criticality and severity is an essential step in vulnerability management to ensure high-risk issues are addressed promptly.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Shutting down servers without assessing the situation or planning can disrupt business operations unnecessarily. This is not a recommended practice in vulnerability management.
- C. Correct.
Correct: Researching the vulnerability helps in understanding its potential impact and determining the best course of action for mitigation or remediation.
- D. Correct.
Correct: Applying the patch after verifying its compatibility prevents issues that could arise from untested fixes. Scheduling it during maintenance minimizes disruption.
- E. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Ignoring vulnerabilities, even if not actively exploited, increases the organization's risk exposure and is not aligned with best practices in vulnerability management.