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Multi-Cloud Security Network Policy and Configuration Management Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Vulnerability scanning is only half the battle. Explore the difference between different types of scans, common pitfalls in modern cloud environments, and how to turn scan data into actionable security policies. Vulnerability scanning Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. What is vulnerability scanning? Vulnerability scanning is the automated inspection of IT system attributes, applications, servers, ports, endpoints, and configuration parameters to detect weaknesses before adversaries find and exploit them. With increasingly sophisticated adversaries and costly breaches, organizations must be proactive. Vulnerability scanning is the cornerstone of this approach, giving companies an edge in defending their assets and operations against malicious actors. Vulnerability scanning vs. vulnerability management As the first step in the vulnerability management lifecycle, vulnerability scanning provides a snapshot of a cloud or IT infrastructure, generating baseline data for remediation, system validation, and improvement. This allows an organization to get ahead of threat actors performing their own reconnaissance. Vulnerability management, on the other hand, is a continuous governance process that encompasses the entire lifecycle: asset discovery, risk assessment, prioritization, remediation, validation, and reporting. Scanning is the tactical instrument; management is the strategic framework. How does a vulnerability scan work? A scan works much like reconnaissance, leveraging either: Passive techniques , which only observe and log configurations and asset inventories or Active but safe engagement with systems to identify open ports and missing security patches How do scanners “see” flaws? Vulnerability scanners inspect IT assets and detect vulnerabilities by matching their fingerprints against known vulnerability signatures from authoritative sources, including open-source databases (e.g., CISA’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and NIST’s National Vulnerability Database (NVD) ) and proprietary databases (e.g., Qualys and Tenable ). A scanner interacts with databases using the Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language (OVAL) . This standardized framework describes vulnerabilities, configurations, and system states so that scanners can compare their detection with vulnerabilities logged in databases. A scanner’s detection workflow includes: Fingerprinting: Collects signatures of IT assets, e.g., operating system type, patch level, installed software versions, service configurations, etc. Signature matching: Compares fingerprints against OVAL definitions or proprietary vulnerability databases Correlation logic (advanced): Applies logical rules to reduce false positives, e.g., no report for an Apache 2.4.38 vulnerability if the system runs Apache 2.4.50 with the relevant patch Confidence scoring: Generates confidence levels indicating detection certainty, helping analysts prioritize validation efforts Benefits of vulnerability scanning A snapshot of an organization’s vulnerability landscape has multiple advantages. Proactive vulnerability detection Scanning identifies security gaps before malicious actors exploit them. Find and fix an SQL injection vulnerability during routine scanning cycles—not after an unauthorized database exfiltration. Efficient risk management Businesses can prioritize risks based on a scanner’s generated vulnerability landscape. Security teams can then focus on fixing high-severity vulnerabilities for critical assets rather than applying uniform patching across all systems. Efficiency brings time and cost savings as well. This is critical, given IBM’s most recent average cost estimate for a breach stands at $4.4 million. Automated scanning helps businesses limit the vulnerabilities that lead to such incidents and their financial fallout. Regulatory compliance & enhanced security posture Vulnerability scanning is now an explicit cybersecurity requirement across multiple regulatory frameworks. Continuous scanning creates a feedback loop that improves baseline security. As vulnerabilities are identified and remediated, the overall attack surface shrinks, increasing operational costs for adversaries while reducing organizational risk exposure. What does a vulnerability scan entail? The vulnerability scanning process follows four steps. 1. Scope definition This involves determining IP ranges, hostnames, and FQDNs and DNS-resolvable targets for web applications and cloud resources. This step also differentiates systems by their criticality to business operations and excludes systems that cannot tolerate scanning. 2. Discovery & fingerprinting Before vulnerability identification begins, scanners must understand the target environment. This starts with identifying active systems, analyzing their behavior, logging their services, and retrieving their versions from service banners and application-specific queries. 3. Vulnerability probing The scanner compares service versions against known vulnerable configurations. It then evaluates their security settings or patch level to determine if those systems lack critical security updates. 4. Reporting & raw data export This final phase is where a scanner takes its findings and turns them into actionable intelligence. For many scanners, this involves assigning CVSS scores (0-10) to quantify vulnerability impact. This report then feeds into the broader vulnerability management workflow. Is there only 1 type of vulnerability scanning? Vulnerability scanning is not limited to one form. In fact, there are eight major types to choose from: External vulnerability scans assess an attack surface from outside the corporate network perimeter, targeting cloud assets, public-facing web applications, and internet-exposed infrastructure. Internal vulnerability scans simulate the perspective of an authenticated user or an attacker with initial access to uncover opportunities for lateral movement, vectors for privilege escalation, or segmentation failures. Credentialed scans authenticate to target systems using legitimate credentials to provide "inside-out" visibility and reduce false positives. Uncredentialed scans operate without authentication, relying on external observation. These scans can carry higher false-positive rates because they cannot detect local vulnerabilities or audit system configurations. Network scans focus on infrastructure vulnerabilities, e.g., network devices, protocols, and services, to identify vulnerabilities that may enable lateral movement and man-in-the-middle attacks. Database scans check relational and NoSQL database systems for weak authentication, excessive privileges, configuration errors, and unpatched database engines. Website scans , aka dynamic application security testing (DAST), probe web apps for real-time vulnerabilities via the HTTP interface, e.g., injection flaws, authentication bypass, and security misconfigurations. Host-based scans deploy agents on endpoints (workstations, servers) for continuous vulnerability assessment, identifying new vulnerabilities as software is installed or updated. Limitations of Vulnerability Scanning Getting ahead of an adversary gives companies an edge in what is a volatile ecosystem. However, vulnerability scanning is by no means a comprehensive security practice. Let’s discuss why. Zero-day vulnerabilities Vulnerability scanners rely on known vulnerability fingerprints. So what happens when they encounter a strange pattern? Zero-day vulnerabilities, or new flaws unknown to vendors and security researchers, are invisible to signature-based detection, which means they can slip through and lead to incidents. Misconfiguration blindspots This is another limitation tied to only being able to identify known software vulnerabilities. Scanners struggle with business-logic flaws and complex misconfigurations, such as custom application logic errors, context-dependent weaknesses, and cloud-specific misconfigurations. Authentication challenges Many vulnerability scanners rely on remote or network-level assessments to detect system flaws. While they may detect exposed assets and services, they cannot access internal configurations or workflows. No behavioral insight Vulnerability scanners assess impressions and signatures, not behavior or activity . Without covering how systems handle actual inputs in real-world operations or an attack, the scanner may miss critical vulnerabilities and underestimate real-time risks. From bulk scanning to "context-aware" discovery Traditional vulnerability management follows a simple CVSS-centric approach: Identify all vulnerabilities, rank them by severity score (0-10), and patch from highest to lowest. But a CVSS score of 9.8 only answers "How bad could exploitation be?" rather than "How likely is exploitation?" Introducing smart scanning Smart scanning combines traditional vulnerability identification with threat intelligence, business context, and exploitation likelihood. It prioritizes vulnerabilities based on business risk rather than theoretical severity. The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) is a data-driven model that estimates the probability of vulnerability exploitation in the next 30 days. A vulnerability with a 9.0 CVSS but a 0.1% EPSS receives lower priority than a 7.0 CVSS vulnerability with an 85% EPSS. Scan smart with AlgoSec Horizon AppViz Traditional vulnerability scanners answer one question: "What vulnerabilities exist?" AlgoSec Horizon AppViz answers the operationally critical follow-up: "Which vulnerabilities can attackers actually reach?" AlgoSec Horizon AppViz delivers business-specific value by prioritizing a detected vulnerability risk not only by severity but also by business criticality. This saves you precious time by generating actionable reports that better protect your business. Are you ready to move beyond traditional vulnerability scanning? Schedule a demo of AlgoSec today. 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Migrating Policies To Cisco ACI Policy Portability Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Avishai Wool, CTO at AlgoSec, analyses the recent Facebook outage and the risks all organizations face in network configuration Social... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response The Facebook outage and network configuration Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 10/6/21 Published Avishai Wool, CTO at AlgoSec, analyses the recent Facebook outage and the risks all organizations face in network configuration Social media giant Facebook was involved in a network outage on the 4th October 2021 that lasted for nearly six hours and took its sister platforms Instagram and WhatsApp offline. As the story developed, it became apparent that the incident was caused by a configuration issue within Facebook’s BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), one of the systems that the internet uses to get your traffic where it needs to go as quickly as possible. The outage also cut off the company’s internal communications, along with authentication to third-party services including Google and Zoom. Some reports suggested security passes went offline, which stopped engineers from entering the building to physically reset the data center. The impact was felt worldwide, with Downdetector recording more than 10 million problem reports, the largest number for one single incident. Facebook released an official statement following the outage stating: “Our engineering teams learned that configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between our data centers caused issues that interrupted this communication.” While Facebook has assured its users that no data has been lost in this process, the outage is a stark reminder of how small configuration errors can have huge, far-reaching consequences. The fundamentals of application availability At the fundamental level, Facebook suffered from a lack of application availability. When a change was actioned, it caused a major chain reaction that ultimately wiped Facebook and its related services from the internet because they couldn’t see the entire lifecycle of that change and the impact it would have. To avoid an incident like this in the future, organizations should consider a few simple steps: Back up configuration files to allow for rollbacks should an issue arise Use a test system alongside live processes to run scenarios without causing any disruptions Retain low-tech alternatives to guarantee access to the network if the primary route fails The outages across Facebook’s infrastructure highlight the operational risks all organizations face around faulty configuration changes which can drastically impact application availability. Intelligent automation, thorough change management and proactive checks are key to avoid these outages. Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Webinars Radically reduce firewall rules with application-driven rule recertification Does your network still have obsolete firewall rules? Do you often feel overwhelmed with the number of firewall rules in your network? To make sure your network is secure and compliant, you need to regularly review and recertify firewall rules. However, manual firewall rule recertification is complex, time-consuming and error-prone, and mistakes may cause application outages. Discover a better way to recertify your firewall rules with Asher Benbenisty, AlgoSec’s Director of Product Marketing, as he discusses how associating application connectivity with your firewall rules can radically reduce the number of firewall rules on your network as well as the efforts involved in rule recertification. In this webinar, we will discuss: The importance of regularly reviewing and recertifying your firewall rules Integrating application connectivity into your firewall rule recertification process Automatically managing the rule-recertification process using an application-centric approach October 14, 2020 Asher Benbenisty Director of product marketing Relevant resources Changing the rules without risk: mapping firewall rules to business applications Keep Reading AlgoSec Horizon AppViz – Rule Recertification Watch Video Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

비즈니스 속도에 따른 맞춤형 보안 관리 Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Compliance made easy Pass your audits stress free AlgoSec Webinar Webinars Compliance made easy. Pass your audits stress-free. Don’t fail an audit ever again. Yes, it’s possible. It doesn’t matter what regulation you are talking about, whether your own internal compliance standard or a common global framework such as PCI DSS, SOX, HIPPA, SWIFT, or even HKMA. We’ll show you how. In this webinar, AlgoSec security expert Tal Dayan will reveal: The secrets to passing audits How to improve your compliance score How to always remain compliant January 27, 2021 Tal Dayan AlgoSec security expert Relevant resources Network Security Audit? Passing Your Next One with Flying Colors Keep Reading Network Security Audit? Passing Your Next One with Flying Colors Keep Reading Regulations and compliance for the data center - A Day in the Life Read Document Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

The Big Collection Of FIREWALL MANAGEMENT TIPS Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Cloud and Hybrid Environments: The State of Security Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Modernize your network Cisco Nexus and Cisco ACI with AlgoSec Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

The firewall audit checklist: Six best practices for simplifying firewall compliance and risk mitigation Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Sons cisco live edition 2026 Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue