New vulnerabilities are discovered every week, while systems, cloud services and internet-facing assets continue to change. Scan results need to be reviewed, prioritised and followed through to remediation.
Managed vulnerability scanning gives you recurring visibility without requiring your organisation to buy, configure and operate a scanning platform. Be Secure Cyber reviews the findings, explains what needs attention and tracks agreed actions with your IT team or provider.
What the service can include
The service starts by agreeing which systems and locations need to be covered. Depending on your environment, that may include internal networks, internet-facing services, hosted systems and other agreed assets.
The managed service can include:
- initial scoping and confirmation of asset coverage
- scheduled internal and external vulnerability scans
- authenticated scanning where it is suitable and agreed
- review and triage of scan findings
- attention to weaknesses that could be exploited and their potential impact on the business
- reporting for technical teams and business owners
- remediation guidance for your staff or existing IT provider
- verification rescans and progress tracking
- service reviews at an agreed frequency
The scope and schedule are agreed before scanning begins. This avoids collecting data from the wrong systems or producing reports that do not reflect how the organisation operates.
Reviewed findings rather than an unfiltered list
Automated tools can produce a large volume of results. Some findings will be urgent, some will need validation and others may have limited relevance in the context of the affected system.
We review the scan output and place it in context. That includes looking at exposure, known exploitability, the importance of the asset and the likely effect on the organisation. Reports are written so that the people responsible for making changes can see what to address first and why.
This does not mean every weakness will be detected or that scanning replaces other forms of assurance. It provides a repeatable view of known vulnerabilities within the agreed coverage and a way to follow the resulting work over time.
Working with your IT team or provider
Many organisations rely on an MSP or outsourced IT provider for routine administration. Managed vulnerability scanning can provide independent security oversight while leaving normal operational responsibility with that provider.
Be Secure Cyber identifies, reviews, explains and tracks vulnerabilities. Your organisation or IT provider will normally install updates, change configurations and complete the remediation work unless separate support is agreed.
We can discuss findings with the people responsible for the affected systems, confirm the evidence needed to close an action and carry out verification rescans where appropriate.
Who managed vulnerability scanning is for
The service may suit organisations that:
- do not have an internal vulnerability management team
- use outsourced IT support and want independent security oversight
- need recurring evidence for customers, tenders, insurers or governance meetings
- have moved beyond ad hoc scans but do not need an enterprise vulnerability platform
- want better visibility of missing updates and exposed services
- need to improve Cyber Essentials readiness between annual assessments
The service can be adjusted to the size and complexity of the estate. The useful starting point is an accurate discussion about the systems in scope, how they are managed and who will own the resulting actions.
Vulnerability assessment, managed scanning and exposure management
These services answer related but different needs:
- A vulnerability assessment is a defined, point-in-time piece of work with analysis and recommendations
- Managed vulnerability scanning provides scheduled scans, reviewed findings and progress tracking over time
- Exposure management has a broader consultancy scope. It can combine vulnerability data with cloud, identity, attack path and business context
- Penetration testing uses deeper manual testing against a defined target and objective. Routine scanning does not replace it
Some organisations start with a one-off assessment to establish their position, then move to managed scanning once coverage and remediation responsibilities are understood. Others need the broader context and governance of exposure management from the outset.
Reporting and service reviews
Reporting is shaped around the people who need to act. Technical teams may need evidence, affected assets and remediation detail. Business owners usually need to understand the significant exposures, overdue actions and whether risk is reducing.
Regular service reviews provide a point to discuss changes in the estate, recurring issues, accepted risks and actions that need escalation. The frequency depends on the agreed service and the pace of change inside the organisation.
Talk through the coverage you need
If you want regular internal or external vulnerability scanning without operating the platform yourself, talk to Be Secure Cyber about your environment, existing IT arrangements and the coverage you need.