Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way of automatically identifying, categorizing, and prioritizing your network’s vulnerabilities. With vulnerability management solutions, you can do that. Not only do they carry out advanced analysis to identify sites of possible breaches, but they can also fix and remediate some of these weaknesses. If the solution cannot patch the vulnerability natively, you will receive information on the vulnerability to enact your own remediation on the site.
It is worth investigating the specific details of vulnerability management software that is available on the market to ensure you find a solution that works for you. Some solutions will be limited to flagging vulnerabilities, while others will have advanced capabilities to respond to the vulnerabilities and react. Some solutions can take this a step further and utilize AI, ML, and threat intelligence to enrich data with contextual information.
In this article, we’ll consider the top vulnerability management solutions currently on the market and identify their key features. We’ll highlight their strengths and suggest what type of organization would benefit most from their implementation. For more information on how vulnerability management solutions work, you can read our helpful article here:
Users like: Intuitive user interface, coverage of all types of threats and vulnerabilities, and powerful categorization by threat level.
Users dislike: Installation can be time-consuming and reporting capabilities need improvement.
Acquired by HelpSystems in March 2022, Alert Logic is a managed detection and response (MDR) vendor that focuses on helping organizations protect against, detect, and respond to threats. MDR is its managed detection and response platform that offers holistic visibility and security across public cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. As part of the platform, Alert Logic offers powerful vulnerability scanning, identification, assessment, and remediation capabilities, helping organizations find, fix, and track vulnerabilities over time.
MDR provides powerful, automated, and continuous vulnerability scanning and health monitoring built into the platform, and can identify more than 91,000 network vulnerabilities and over 8,600 software configuration issues. From a central dashboard, security teams can gain a holistic view of vulnerabilities such as missing patches, unauthorized applications, risky configurations, and more, as well as research and track vulnerabilities in granular detail and in real-time. The platform then provides guidance on remediation and mitigation, based on Alert Logic’s own research as well as a range of third-party sources.
MDR currently comes in three packages: Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise. Pricing starts at coverage for 25 nodes and is tailored for each organization’s specific business needs.
We recommend Alert Logic MDR for SMBs that are looking for a comprehensive MDR solution with powerful vulnerability management capabilities built in.
Users like: A wealth of vulnerability data delivered automatically at a glance.
Users dislike: No ability to directly remediate vulnerabilities on the platform.
CrowdStrike is a global leader in endpoint protection. Its cloud-native Falcon platform is designed to offer complete visibility and protection across all IT environments, and includes antivirus, EDR, threat intelligence, threat hunting and response, and more. Falcon Spotlight is an optional add-on module that provides powerful vulnerability detection and management, empowering organizations with real-time visibility of their environments and the right information to enable them to manage potential exposures and risks.
What sets Spotlight apart is its scan-free vulnerability management capabilities, mitigating the need for analysts to spend time and resources on vulnerability scanning and providing automated, always-on, real-time monitoring of all endpoints—whether they’re on-premises or cloud-based. From a comprehensive dashboard, admins can not only view all real-time vulnerability data across their endpoints, but also see historic vulnerabilities and search CVEs.
Spotlight is a powerful add-on module that integrates seamlessly with CrowdStrike’s other endpoint protection modules—meaning security teams can enrich vulnerability data with incident details, endpoint information, and more. This makes the platform ideal for organizations currently leveraging the Falcon platform for endpoint management.
Users like: Smooth scanning process, granular reporting, excellent customer service.
Users dislike: Learning curve for users that are new to the platform.
Acquired by HelpSystems in February 2021, Digital Defense specializes in risk-based vulnerability management. Part of its Frontline.Cloud platform (alongside solutions for web scanning, threat detection, and ethical hacking), Frontline Vulnerability Manager (VM) is its cloud-native, SaaS solution that’s designed to enable organizations to quickly and effectively identify and prioritize vulnerabilities across their environments.
Using Frontline VM, organizations can run scans and assessments to identify both internal and external vulnerabilities that might exist across their environments. The solution then assigns a security posture score and also enriches scan findings with contextual data derived from threat intelligence, vulnerability risk scoring, and machine learning, to help prioritize remediation actions. What differentiates the solution from its competitors is its peer-to-peer comparison reporting capability, which enables organizations to compare their security risk scores, average patch times, and more with their industry peers.
Frontline VM is an on-demand service that comes as part of several Frontline.Cloud subscriptions—including Frontline Advanced and Frontline Pro. Subscriptions can also be managed internally or fully managed by Digital Defense.
Housed in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Digital Defense’s Frontline VM is a powerful SaaS vulnerability management solution that integrates seamlessly with workforce automation tools such as SIEMs. We recommend Frontline VM for businesses of all sizes that are looking for a scalable vulnerability scanning solution that provides a wealth of contextual data to businesses help understand their risk and security posture.
Users like: Easy-to-use, reliable, accurate, and high-quality platform with granular risk scoring and advanced reporting.
Users dislike: Scans can slow system performance and some users find it difficult to integrate with third-party tooling.
Acquired by Fortra in February 2022, Tripwire is an established cybersecurity solutions provider that specializes in protecting organizations against evolving threats and attacks. IP360 is its powerful vulnerability management solution that helps organizations to accurately identify and monitor their assets and vulnerabilities both on-premises and in the cloud, as well as focus their remediation efforts with advanced risk-scoring and prioritization to identify the most critical risks to their systems.
What sets IP360 apart is its application-centric approach to vulnerability management. This approach means that the solution scans for specific vulnerabilities based on the particular operating systems, applications, and services that an organization currently uses. The solution then ranks vulnerabilities on a scale of 1–50,000 based on vulnerability age as well as analysis by Tripwire’s Vulnerability and Exposure Reach (VERT) team, and provides a risk score to help organizations identify their most critical vulnerabilities and prioritize remediation actions.
For pricing information, organizations should contact Tripwire directly.
Tripwire IP360 is a flexible and scalable solution that’s based on a modular architecture. It can also integrate with third-party tooling such as asset management solutions—though, we should note that small groups of users report that the integration process can be difficult. We recommend Tripwire for businesses across all industries that are looking for application-centric scanning and powerful vulnerability risk scoring and ranking.
User likes: Easy to install and use. Automated patching and strong reporting.
User dislikes: Interface feels outdated. Learning curve on first use.
GFI Software is an IT services provider that develops network, web, and email security solutions designed specifically for SMBs. GFI LanGuard is its vulnerability management, patch management, and auditing solution that provides organizations with powerful visibility and protection of all endpoints across their environments by continuously scanning for and assessing vulnerabilities, providing granular reports, and automatically rolling out patches.
GFI LanGuard can scan networks and devices for vulnerabilities either automatically or on-demand and identify more than 60,000 vulnerabilities. Once vulnerabilities are identified, the solution can then categorize them according to type and severity, provide a weighted assessment of threat levels across all devices, and recommend a course of action to remediate or patch each issue. Missing patches can then be automatically downloaded and rolled out.
Pricing for GFI LanGuard comes in three editions. Small is suited for 10-49 nodes and is priced at $26 per node, per year. Medium is suited for 50-249 nodes and is priced at $14 per node, per year. Large is suited for 250+ nodes and is priced at $10 per node, per year. Organizations can also sign up for a 30-day free trial to test the product in their environments.
The solution is compatible with Microsoft, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems and integrates with more than 4,000 third-party applications and security tools. The solution can also run in agent-less or agent-based mode. We recommend GFI Languard for SMBs across all industries that are looking for a strong vulnerability management solution with auditing and automated patching built in.
Users like: Easy-to-use platform and powerful performance.
Users dislike: Need for improvement in reporting capabilities.
ManageEngine is an established software vendor that offers a range of IT management and security solutions for enterprises globally. Part of its unified endpoint management and security solutions suite of products, Vulnerability Manager Plus is its on-premises vulnerability management, compliance, and patch deployment solution that provides assessment, visibility, and management of vulnerabilities from end-to-end.
Vulnerability Manager Plus offers security teams a holistic view of their organization’s threat landscape—including OS, third-party, and zero-day vulnerabilities, security and web server misconfigurations, and high-risk software—all from one, easy-to-use console. As well as identifying vulnerabilities, teams can assess risk levels and prioritize remediation actions, as well as download, test, and automatically deploy patches via its built-in patch management module.
Vulnerability Manager Plus is available in three editions. The Free edition is available for small businesses with up to 25 devices. The Professional edition is suitable for local area network (LAN) computers and starts at $695 annually for 100 workstations. The Enterprise edition is suitable for both LAN and wide area network (WAN) computers and starts at $1195 annually for 100 workstations. Organizations can also trial the solution free of charge for 30 days.
The software works seamlessly across both Windows and Linux operating systems. However, organizations using macOS should approach with caution as the vulnerability management is incompatible and only the patch management module is supported.
We recommend ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus for businesses of all sizes that are looking for a powerful on-premises solution that can manage the vulnerability lifecycle from end-to-end.
Users like: Comprehensive end-to-end vulnerability management on one platform, with exceptional reporting and analytics.
Users dislike: Poor technical support from vendor if there’s an issue with the solution.
Qualys is a leading cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider. VMDR (vulnerability management, detection, and response) is its cloud-based, all-encompassing vulnerability management, threat detection and prioritization, patch management, and asset management solution that enables organizations to discover and manage assets, continuously monitor them for vulnerabilities, and deploy relevant patches to fix them.
Qualys VMDR continuously monitors network environments to automatically detect, assess, and monitor vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in real-time. Then, using threat intelligence and machine learning, the platform can identify the most critical vulnerabilities and help prioritize remediation. The solution can then identify and automatically deploy the right patch to remediate each vulnerability.
VMDR is priced on a per-asset basis. Organizations of all sizes can also take advantage of a 30-day trial to test if the solution is the right fit for their business needs.
As a cloud-based solution, Qualys VMDR is easy to deploy, scale, and integrate with other security tools—such as ticketing systems, SIEM tools, and more. We recommend VMDR for enterprise organizations looking for a holistic vulnerability management solution that comes with automatic prioritization and patch management built into the platform.
Users like: Intuitive and easy-to-use interface, as well as a wealth of data collected during vulnerability scans.
Users dislike: Need for better automation, reporting can be cumbersome, and instances of false positives.
Rapid7 is a cybersecurity vendor that specializes in providing customers with the visibility, analytics, and automation to help secure their environments. Part of its Insight Platform, InsightVM is a powerful, cloud-based vulnerability management solution that builds on Rapid7’s popular on-premises vulnerability scanning solution Nexpose. InsightVM comes with all Nexpose’s powerful vulnerability scanning features built in, plus tracking and reporting, investigation, advanced remediation, and more, to enable organizations to manage vulnerabilities from end-to-end.
Using InsightVM, security teams can run full vulnerability scans across their entire environments (including cloud, physical, and virtual infrastructure) automatically collect data across all endpoints, leverage real-time interactive dashboards and enrich data with threat feeds. Security teams can also streamline remediation activities with automation-assisted patching and automated containment, as well as integrations with ticketing systems, patch management solutions, SIEM tools, and more.
Pricing for InsightVM as a standalone solution is based on the number of assets covered—but as an example, for 500 assets, pricing would start at $1.84 per asset per month. The platform also offers a 30-day free trial, so interested parties can try before they buy.
We recommend Rapid7 InsightVM for small to mid-sized organizations across all industries that are looking for powerful end-to-end vulnerability management capabilities and seamless integrations with other endpoint security tools they might already be using.
Users like: Ease of deployment, intuitive interface, risk-based vulnerability scoring.
Users dislike: Poor reporting capabilities and customer support. Groups of users also experience false positives on occasion.
Tenable is an established cyber exposure company that specializes in helping organizations understand their risk and identify vulnerabilities across their environments. Best known for its vulnerability scanner Nessus Pro, Tenable offers various vulnerability management solutions that are built on its Nessus technology—including Tenable.sc and Tenable.io. What makes Tenable.io Vulnerability Management stand out is its cloud-based infrastructure (Tenable.sc is deployed on-premises) and advanced vulnerability scanning capabilities.
Tenable.io makes it easy for organizations to accurately and conveniently identify and monitor all vulnerabilities across their environments, as well as assess and prioritize them based on risk. The solution actively scans and monitors all assets across an organization’s entire attack surface, with built-in vulnerability assessment. The platform then uses a combination of vulnerability data, threat intelligence, and data science to prioritize which remediation actions need to be taken.
Tenable.io is priced on a per-asset basis, with annual subscription prices starting at $2,275 per year. Organizations can also trial the solution free of charge for 30 days to test whether it’s a good fit for their environment.
As a cloud-based solution, Tenable.io is easy to deploy and takes only seconds to set up. We recommend Tenable.io Vulnerability Management for mid-sized and enterprise organizations across all industries that are looking for a powerful cloud-based vulnerability management solution that’s built on established, well-loved Nessus vulnerability scanning technology.
Users like: Easy integration, excellent customer support, and powerful vulnerability detection and visibility.
Users dislike: Lack of automated response capabilities, learning curve on first use, and at times blocks webpages unnecessarily.
WithSecure (formerly F-Secure) is a well-established cybersecurity company that specializes in protecting organizations against advanced threats and attacks in real-time. WithSecure Elements Vulnerability Management is its advanced, cloud-based vulnerability scanning and management solution. The solution is available standalone or as part of WithSecure’s Elements platform (which also includes endpoint detection and response, endpoint protection, and Microsoft 365 protection).
Elements Vulnerability Management is an end-to-end solution that tracks vulnerabilities from identification through to verification of remediation. The solution works by firstly mapping out all systems and scanning them for vulnerabilities. Then, from a central dashboard, security teams can view scan results in granular detail and create customizable reports, as well as prioritize tasks for remediation. The solution can also run verification scans, to ensure the effectiveness of implemented fixes and patches.
What sets the solution apart is its surface, deep, and dark web crawling technology, which enables organizations to identify risks and vulnerable connections, as well as create risk assessment reports detailing activities such as brand violations and phishing sites.
Pricing for Elements Vulnerability Management is asset-based, and subscriptions can either be billed annually, monthly, or based on usage. The product can also be managed internally or businesses can purchase a fully managed subscription. Organizations can also leverage a free 30-day trial to test the product.
We recommend WithSecure Elements Vulnerability Management for mid-sized to enterprise organizations that are looking for powerful vulnerability scanning and management alongside web crawling and risk reports on their wider attack surface.
FAQs
Why Are Vulnerability Management Solutions Important?
To start off with, your vulnerability management solution (VMS) will perform a scan to discover all devices, and to assess any possible vulnerabilities. You will be able to view a catalogue of current and historical vulnerabilities from your dashboard, whilst being able to categorise them based on relative risk, and state of remediation.
Vulnerability management solutions are useful parts of your cybersecurity infrastructure as it is an ongoing process. While we might think that once a vulnerability is dealt with, we are secure, this is not the case. Attackers are continually looking for new ways to navigate our security infrastructure, so you too need to be constantly protecting yourself. VMS allow this process to be automated, giving you one less thing to worry about.
Finally, having a vulnerability management solution in place is a requirement enforced by many of external regulators. They require a VMS as this will automatically detect weaknesses and ensure that your network is as protected and as agile as possible. Some of the common regulatory bodies that demand this include PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. Proving that you have a VMS and respond to its suggestions can also lower your cybersecurity insurance premiums.
