What is the main role of a vulnerability management process?

The main role of a vulnerability management process is to identify, classify, and remediate vulnerabilities. This involves a systematic approach to understanding and addressing security weaknesses within an organization's systems. By identifying vulnerabilities, organizations can prioritize them based on their potential impact and exploitability. Classification helps in categorizing these vulnerabilities to determine which ones pose the highest risk. Finally, remediation refers to the actions taken to fix or mitigate these vulnerabilities, which could include applying patches, altering configurations, or implementing additional security controls.

This process is critical to maintaining a strong security posture, as it allows organizations to proactively manage risks before they can be exploited by attackers. Regular assessments and updates as part of vulnerability management ensure that security measures keep pace with new threats and emerging vulnerabilities, ultimately protecting sensitive data and maintaining compliance with security standards and regulations.