In this project, we simulate the implementation of a comprehensive vulnerability management program, from inception to completion.
Inception State: the organization has no existing policy or vulnerability management practices in place.
Completion State: a formal policy is enacted, stakeholder buy-in is secured, and a full cycle of organization-wide vulnerability remediation is successfully completed.
- Tenable (enterprise vulnerability management platform)
- Azure Virtual Machines (Nessus scan engine + scan targets)
- PowerShell & BASH (remediation scripts)
- Vulnerability Management Policy Draft Creation
- Mock Meeting: Policy Buy-In (Stakeholders)
- Policy Finalization and Senior Leadership Sign-Off
- Mock Meeting: Initial Scan Permission (Server Team)
- Initial Scan of Server Team Assets
- Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization
- Distributing Remediations to Remediation Teams
- Mock Meeting: Post-Initial Discovery Scan (Server Team)
- Mock CAB Meeting: Implementing Remediations
- Remediation Round 1: Outdated Wireshark Removal
- Remediation Round 2: Insecure Protocols & Ciphers
- Remediation Round 3: Guest Account Group Membership
- Remediation Round 4: Windows OS Updates
- First Cycle Remediation Effort Summary
This phase focuses on drafting a Vulnerability Management Policy as a starting point for stakeholder engagement. The initial draft outlines scope, responsibilities, and remediation timelines, and may be adjusted based on feedback from relevant departments to ensure practical implementation before final approval by upper management.
Draft Policy
In this phase, a meeting with the server team introduces the draft Vulnerability Management Policy and assesses their capability to meet remediation timelines. Feedback leads to adjustments, like extending the critical remediation window from 48 hours to one week, ensuring collaborative implementation.
- Josh
- Jimmy
Josh: Hey, good morning, Jimmy. How’s everything been? I know everyone’s been busy these past few weeks.
Jimmy: Good morning, Josh. Yeah, it’s been a bit hectic, but we’re hanging in there. Thanks for asking.
I had a chance to review the policy draft, and overall, it makes sense. However, with our current staffing levels, we won’t be able to meet the aggressive remediation timelines—especially the 48-hour window for critical vulnerabilities.
Josh: I totally understand. That timeline is pretty aggressive, especially at the start.
How about we extend the critical vulnerability deadline to one week for now? Then, we can reserve the 48-hour window for truly severe issues, like critical zero-day vulnerabilities.
Jimmy: That sounds reasonable. We really appreciate the flexibility.
Would it be possible to have some leeway in the beginning while we get used to the remediation and patching process? Maybe just for the first few months?
Josh: Absolutely. Once the policy is finalized, we’ll officially roll out the program, but we’re planning to give all departments about six months to adjust and get comfortable with the new process. Does that sound fair?
Jimmy: That sounds great. We’ll do our best. I appreciate you including us in the decision-making process—it really helps us feel like we’re part of the solution.
Josh: Of course! We’re all in this together. Thanks for working with us.
Jimmy: No problem. And thanks for the quick meeting.
Josh: Yeah, those are my favorite kinds!
Jimmy: Haha, same. See you later!
After gathering feedback from the server team, the policy is revised, addressing aggressive remediation timelines. With final approval from upper management, the policy now guides the program, ensuring compliance and reference for pushback resolution.
Finalized Policy
The team collaborates with the server team to initiate scheduled credential scans. A compromise is reached to scan a single server first, monitoring resource impact, and using just-in-time Active Directory credentials for secure, controlled access.
- Josh
- Jimmy
Josh: Morning, Jimmy.
Jimmy: Good morning! I heard you're ready to conduct some scans.
Josh: Yep! Now that our vulnerability management policy is in place, I wanted to start conducting scheduled credentialed scans of your environment.
Jimmy: Sounds good to me. What's involved? How can we help?
Josh: We're planning to schedule weekly scans of the server infrastructure. We estimate it’ll take about 4 to 6 hours to scan all 2,200 assets.
To do this, we’ll need administrative credentials, which will allow the scan engine to remotely log into the targets for a more thorough assessment.
Jimmy: Whoa, whoa, hold on. What does scanning actually entail? I'm a bit worried about resource utilization.
Also, you want admin credentials to all 200 machines? That doesn’t sound safe.
Josh: Those are valid concerns.
The scan engine basically sends different types of traffic to the servers to check for vulnerabilities. This includes:
- Looking into the registry
- Checking for outdated software
- Identifying insecure protocols or cipher suites
That’s why credentials are required—to allow deeper inspection without disrupting operations.
Jimmy: I see. As long as it doesn’t take the servers offline, I guess we should be okay.
Josh: Absolutely. Let’s start by scanning a single server first and monitor its resource utilization.
Jimmy: Not a bad idea.
Josh: Great. Also, for the credentials, can you set up something in Active Directory for us?
- Create temporary AD credentials
- Keep them disabled until we’re ready to scan
- Enable them during the scan
- Deprovision or disable the account afterward (Just-in-Time access)
Jimmy: That sounds good. I'll ask Susan to get started on the automation for account provisioning.
Josh: Awesome. Okay, talk soon!
Jimmy: Sounds good. I’ll get back to you once the credentials are set up.
Josh: See you later!
Jimmy: See you later.
In this phase, an insecure Windows Server is provisioned to simulate the server team's environment. After creating vulnerabilities, an authenticated scan is performed, and the results are exported for future remediation steps.
We assessed vulnerabilities and established a remediation prioritization strategy based on ease of remediation and impact. The following priorities were set:
- Third Party Software Removal (Wireshark)
- Windows OS Secure Configuration (Protocols & Ciphers)
- Windows OS Secure Configuration (Guest Account Group Membership)
- Windows OS Updates
The server team received remediation scripts and scan reports to address key vulnerabilities. This streamlined their efforts and prepared them for a follow-up review.
The server team reviewed vulnerability scan results, identifying outdated software, insecure accounts, and deprecated protocols. The remediation packages were prepared for submission to the Change Control Board (CAB).
- Josh
- Jimmy
Josh: Morning, Jimmy. How are you doing?
Jimmy: Not bad for a Monday. And yourself?
Josh: Still alive, so I can’t complain!
Before we dive into the vulnerabilities, how did the actual scan go on your end? Did you experience any outages or overutilization issues?
Jimmy: The scan went well. We were monitoring the servers, and aside from all the open connections, we wouldn’t have even noticed a scan was taking place.
Josh: That’s great news! I kind of expected that. We’ll keep monitoring moving forward, but I don’t anticipate any resource utilization issues.
Do you mind if I dive into the vulnerability findings?
Jimmy: Yeah, absolutely.
Josh: Cool. I’m going to share my screen really quick.
So basically, the majority of these vulnerabilities are due to Wireshark being installed. You can see all these instances here—it’s just extremely outdated, that’s all.
One interesting thing I found is that the local guest account on the servers actually belongs to a group. When I looked deeper, I saw it belongs to the local administrators group—not sure why that is.
Some of these issues might be automatically resolved by Windows Updates, like the Microsoft Edge Chromium vulnerability, but I’m not entirely sure about this one yet.
We don’t have to worry about the self-signed certificate issue, since it’s just a self-signed cert for the computer.
However, these medium-strength cipher suites and TLS 1.1 and 1.0 are deprecated protocols, so I think we should take some time to remediate them.
So in summary, the main vulnerabilities we need to address are:
- Outdated Wireshark installations
- Deprecated cipher suites and insecure protocols (TLS 1.1 & 1.0)
- Removing the guest account from the local administrators group
Jimmy: Very interesting. The good news is, I suspect most of our servers will have the same vulnerabilities, which should make remediation easier.
Josh: Yeah, that’s actually a good thing—having a uniform loadout should streamline the process.
Do you foresee any issues with remediating anything specifically, like the cipher suites and insecure protocols?
Jimmy: I highly doubt it. We’ll run everything through the next Change Control Board.
Uninstalling Wireshark and fixing the guest account shouldn’t be an issue—those shouldn’t be on the servers in the first place.
I’ll have to check with our CIS admins about that.
Josh: Sounds good. I’ll go ahead and start building out some remediation packages to make things easier for you when it’s time to fix them.
Jimmy: That sounds great.
Oh, before I forget—do you have anything in place to fix the Windows Update-related vulnerabilities? Do you already have patch management set up?
Josh: Oh yeah, I’m not worried about that. Windows Updates should be handled automatically by next week—we have a patch management system in place.
Josh: Excellent! Alright, I’ll start researching the best way to remediate these findings and get back to you before the next Change Control Board meeting.
Jimmy: Sounds good. Talk to you soon!
Josh: Cool, talk to you soon.
The Change Control Board (CAB) reviewed and approved the plan to remove insecure protocols and cipher suites. The plan included a rollback script and a tiered deployment approach.
- Facilitator
- Josh (Risk Department)
- Jimmy (Infrastructure)
- Team Member
Facilitator:
Okay, next up on the list are a couple of vulnerability remediations for the server team:
- Removal of insecure protocols
- Removal of insecure cipher suites
It looks like Josh from the Risk Department is working in conjunction with Jimmy from Infrastructure on this.
Jimmy, do you want to walk us through the technical aspects of the change being implemented?
Jimmy:
Normally, I would, but do you mind passing this one to Josh? He actually built the solution for us, and we’re still getting used to the process.
Josh:
Yeah, I can explain.
So, insecure cipher suites and protocols exist on a system when it's capable of negotiating and using outdated, deprecated algorithms or protocols.
If the system connects to a server that only supports these outdated protocols, it’s possible that the computer will use them.
These settings are controlled via the Windows registry, so the fix is pretty straightforward.
We wrote a PowerShell script that:
- Disables all insecure protocols and ciphers
- Enables only the secure, standardized protocols currently in use
It’s a simple and effective solution.
Team Member:
That sounds good, but what if something goes wrong? Do we have a rollback plan in place? Did you even think about that?
Josh:
Yes, absolutely.
First, we’re doing a tiered deployment, which means:
- Pilot Group – A small test group of computers
- Pre-Pilot & Pre-Production – Expanding to more systems
- Production Rollout – Full deployment across all servers
On top of that, we’ve built an automated rollback script for each remediation.
If any unexpected issues occur, the script will restore the original protocols and cipher settings immediately.
Team Member:
That sounds good, I guess. Since the fixes are just registry updates, I’m not too concerned.
Josh:
Yep, exactly.
Facilitator:
Any more questions from anyone?
(Silence.)
Great, that wraps things up for this week's CAB (Change Advisory Board) meeting. See you all next week!
All:
See you later!
The server team used a PowerShell script to remove outdated Wireshark. A follow-up scan confirmed successful remediation.
Wireshark Removal Script
Scan 2 - Third Party Software Removal
The server team used PowerShell scripts to remediate insecure protocols and cipher suites. A follow-up scan verified successful remediation, and the results were saved for reference.
PowerShell: Insecure Protocols Remediation
PowerShell: Insecure Ciphers Remediation
Scan 3 - Ciphersuites and Protocols
The server team removed the guest account from the administrator group. A new scan confirmed remediation, and the results were exported for comparison.
PowerShell: Guest Account Group Membership Remediation
Scan 4 - Guest Account Group Removal
Windows updates were re-enabled and applied until the system was fully up to date. A final scan verified the changes
The remediation process reduced total vulnerabilities by 80%, from 30 to 6. Critical vulnerabilities were resolved by the second scan (100%), and high vulnerabilities dropped by 90%. Mediums were reduced by 76%. In an actual production environment, asset criticality would further guide future remediation efforts.
After completing the initial remediation cycle, the vulnerability management program transitions into Maintenance Mode. This phase ensures that vulnerabilities continue to be managed proactively, keeping systems secure over time. Regular scans, continuous monitoring, and timely remediation are crucial components of this phase. (See Finalized Policy for scanning and remediation cadence requirements.)
Key activities in Maintenance Mode include:
- Scheduled Vulnerability Scans: Perform regular scans (e.g., weekly or monthly) to detect new vulnerabilities as systems evolve.
- Patch Management: Continuously apply security patches and updates, ensuring no critical vulnerabilities remain unpatched.
- Remediation Follow-ups: Address newly identified vulnerabilities promptly, prioritizing based on risk and impact.
- Policy Review and Updates: Periodically review the Vulnerability Management Policy to ensure it aligns with the latest security best practices and organizational needs.
- Audit and Compliance: Conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with the vulnerability management policy and external regulations.
- Ongoing Communication with Stakeholders: Maintain open communication with teams responsible for remediation, ensuring efficient coordination.
By maintaining an active vulnerability management process, organizations can stay ahead of emerging threats and ensure long-term security resilience.