Vulnerability Prioritization Is a Treat for Defenders

The importance of vulnerability prioritization for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large enterprise networks cannot be overstated. Whether you're a small organization with limited IT resources or a vast enterprise managing complex systems, understanding which vulnerabilities to tackle first can make all the difference in safeguarding your infrastructure from costly breaches.

For SMBs, resource constraints are a constant challenge. With limited personnel and budgets, it’s nearly impossible to address every vulnerability immediately. Prioritization is key here—by focusing on the most critical issues first, businesses can effectively reduce their risk with the resources they have. Ignoring this step could leave significant vulnerabilities unpatched, exposing sensitive data or systems to attack.

Even in larger enterprises that have dedicated cybersecurity teams and larger budgets, the scale of the network can be overwhelming. Managing thousands of vulnerabilities across multiple systems is incredibly complex, and failing to prioritize can result in teams wasting valuable time on low-impact issues while high-risk vulnerabilities linger, leaving critical systems exposed. By focusing on vulnerabilities that have the highest potential impact, businesses can better protect their most critical assets and reduce the likelihood of severe incidents.

Attackers historically target vulnerabilities that offer the highest reward with the least effort. Prioritizing these high-risk vulnerabilities ensures that businesses are one step ahead of potential attacks. For example, if a vulnerability could lead to significant financial losses or expose sensitive customer data, that issue should take precedence.

There have been numerous high-profile cybersecurity incidents where vulnerability management had an impact on severe breaches. Here are some notable examples:

Apache Struts Vulnerability

In 2017, a known vulnerability in Apache Struts led to one of the largest data breaches in history. More than 147 million individuals had their personal information exposed. The vulnerability was disclosed months before the attack, but a system was not patched timely enough. Vulnerabilities such as this are trivial to exploit, but can have lasting impact as their affected services are commonly exposed to the Internet.

WannaCry Vulnerability

The WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 exploited a vulnerability in Windows called EternalBlue, for which a patch had been available for months. Many organizations that failed to apply the patch suffered significant disruptions and faced massive operational impacts. This incident highlights the risk of ignoring high-priority vulnerabilities, especially in critical infrastructure sectors.

Log4j Vulnerability

In late 2021, a critical vulnerability in Apache Log4j, an open-source logging framework, was publicly disclosed before a fix was available. Log4j was popular among Java developers and embedded into thousands of software packages and integrated into millions of systems worldwide. Many organizations struggled to quickly identify where Log4j was present in their environment, as open source software components aren’t always readily listed. SURGe published a rapid response blog with early guidance on how to detect remote exploitation of the vulnerability as proof-of-concept exploit code circulated on the Internet. To more quickly identify and patch vulnerable software components, organizations should maintain an accurate asset and application inventory and adopt Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), which provide visibility into software components.

For many industries, compliance with regulatory standards is non-negotiable. Failing to properly manage vulnerabilities can result in significant penalties. This is especially true in sectors like healthcare or finance, where customer data is highly sensitive, and strict regulations exist to protect it. By prioritizing vulnerabilities based on their relevance to compliance mandates, businesses can avoid fines, legal action, and damage to their reputation. This approach not only helps ensure regulatory compliance but also strengthens overall security, reducing the likelihood of a breach that could attract regulatory scrutiny.

Vulnerability prioritization is a critical component of any organization's cybersecurity strategy. Whether you’re an SMB or a large enterprise, taking the time to prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk, compliance, and available resources is key to reducing the likelihood of devastating cyberattacks. As businesses look to strengthen their defenses, especially during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, prioritizing the most critical vulnerabilities is a step toward building a more secure and resilient organization.

To learn more about vulnerability prioritization, check out our blog “A Case Study in Vulnerability Prioritization: the Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Incidents,” which includes several questions to ask when evaluating a vulnerability, a list of vulnerability databases and scoring frameworks, and the lessons learned from critical vulnerabilities in popular applications like Log4j, MOVEit Transfer, and on-premises Microsoft Exchange servers. And be sure to check out our Cybersecurity Awareness Month blog series, where we touch on other topics, such as SURGe research looking at the frequency of MITRE ATT&CK techniques cited in open-source reports over the last five years.