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- Remediation Round 1: Outdated Wireshark Removal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 (VM Security Analyst):
Hey, good morning, Jimmy! How's everything been? I know everyone's been busy these last few weeks.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Good morning, Josh! Yeah, it's been a bit hectic, but we're hanging in there. Thanks for asking. I had a chance to read through the policy draft, and overall it makes sense. However, with our current staffing, we can't meet the aggressive remediation timelines—especially the 48-hour window for critical vulnerabilities.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
I totally understand; it is a bit aggressive, especially to start. Maybe we could extend the critical close window to one week as a compromise for now. Then we could reserve the 48-hour window for truly severe, zero-day vulnerabilities.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
That sounds reasonable. We really appreciate the flexibility. Could we also have a bit of leeway in the beginning as we get used to the remediation and patching process—just for the first few months?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Absolutely. After the policy is finalized, we'll officially start 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 (Server Team Manager):
That sounds great. Thanks, Josh. We'll do our best, and I appreciate you including us in the decision-making process. It really makes us feel like part of the solution.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Of course! We're all in this together. Thanks for working with us.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
No problem. Thanks for the short meeting.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Yeah, those are my favorite types. Bye now!
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
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 (VM Security Analyst):
Morning, Jimmy.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Good morning, Josh. I heard you're ready to conduct some scans?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Yep! Now that our vulnerability management policy is in place, I want to get started with some scheduled credential scans of your environment.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Sounds good to me. What’s involved, and how can we help?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
We’re planning to schedule weekly scans of the server infrastructure. We estimate it will take about 4 to 6 hours to scan all 200 assets. We’ll need you to provide administrative credentials so the scan engine can remotely log into the targets and perform a thorough assessment.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Whoa, hold on. What does scanning actually entail? I’m a bit concerned about resource utilization. And you’re asking for admin credentials to all 200 machines? That doesn’t sound safe.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Those are valid concerns. The scan engine sends specific traffic to the servers to check for vulnerabilities. This includes examining the registry, identifying outdated software, and detecting insecure protocols or cipher suites. That’s why we need credentials—to gain deeper insight into the system's state.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
I see. As long as it doesn’t bring the servers offline, I think we should be okay.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Absolutely. Let’s start with a single server to monitor resource utilization before scaling up.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Not a bad idea.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Also, for the credentials, could you set something up in Active Directory? For example, you could create a dedicated account that remains disabled until we’re ready to scan. Then, enable it for the scan and disable or deprovision it afterward—kind of a just-in-time access approach.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
That sounds good. I’ll ask Susan to start working on the automation for account provisioning.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Awesome. Let’s talk soon.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Sounds good. I’ll get back to you once the credentials are set up.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Great, see you later.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
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.
Subject: Vulnerability Remediation Scripts for Testing and Deployment
Hi Team,
Based on our initial vulnerability scan and assessment, we have created a set of scripts to help you tackle the initial remediation efforts. These scripts target key vulnerabilities and can be easily integrated into your deployment platform (e.g., SCCM). Please test them before deploying to production.
- Third-Party Software Removal (Wireshark)
- Windows OS Secure Configuration (Insecure Protocols)
- Windows OS Secure Configuration (Insecure Ciphersuites)
- Windows OS Secure Configuration (Guest Account Group Membership)
Let me know if you have any questions or need any adjustments!
Best regards,
Daryl Hawkins, Security Analyst
Governance, Risk, and Compliance
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 (VM Security Analyst):
Morning, Jimmy. How are you doing?
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Not bad for a Monday. And you?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
I’m still alive, so I can’t complain. Before we dive into the vulnerabilities, how did the scan go on your end? Did you have any outages or resource overutilization?
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
The scan went well. We monitored everything, and aside from the open connections, we wouldn’t have even noticed a scan was taking place.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
That’s great news! I kind of expected that. We’ll keep monitoring going forward, but I don’t foresee any resource utilization issues. Mind if I dive into the vulnerability findings?
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Go for it.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Cool, let me share my screen. So, the majority of vulnerabilities come from Wireshark installations. You can see there are several instances, and they’re all just extremely outdated.
One interesting thing I found is that the local guest account on some servers belongs to the local administrators group. I’m not sure why that’s the case, but it needs to be addressed.
Some vulnerabilities, like the Microsoft Edge Chromium ones, might be automatically resolved by Windows updates. The self-signed certificate issue can be ignored since it’s a system-generated certificate.
However, we do need to focus on the deprecated cipher suites and protocols, specifically TLS 1.0 and 1.1, and those medium-strength cipher suites. So, the main items are updating Wireshark, addressing the guest account issue, and remediating the protocols and cipher suites.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Interesting. The good news is that most of our servers probably have the same vulnerabilities, so that should make remediation more straightforward.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Exactly—a uniform loadout is a good thing in this case. Do you anticipate any issues with remediating the cipher suites and insecure protocols?
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
I highly doubt it. We’ll run the changes through the next Change Control Board. Uninstalling Wireshark and fixing the guest account shouldn’t be an issue since those shouldn’t be on the servers anyway. I’ll need to check with our CIS admins about the guest account, though.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Sounds good. I’ll start building remediation packages to make things easier when it’s time to implement the fixes.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
That sounds great. By the way, do you have anything in place for addressing the Windows update-related vulnerabilities?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Oh, yes. I’m not worried about that—Windows updates are handled automatically. We’ve got patch management in place, and everything should be updated by next week.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Excellent. All right, get started on the remediation packages and let me know before the next Change Control Board.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Will do. Talk to you soon.
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Cool, talk 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.
CAB Facilitator:
Okay, next on the agenda 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 with Jimmy from Infrastructure on this. Jimmy, do you want to walk us through the technical aspects of the change being implemented?
Jimmy (Server Team Manager):
Normally, I would, but do you mind letting Josh take this one? He actually built the solution, and we’re still getting familiar with the process.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Sure, I can explain. So, insecure cipher suites and protocols are essentially deprecated algorithms or protocols that the system can still use if needed. If a server only supports those insecure protocols, the system might negotiate and use them, which poses a security risk.
These settings are controlled through the Windows registry. We wrote a PowerShell script that disables all the insecure protocols and ciphers while enabling only the secure, standardized ones. It’s a straightforward fix.
Jack (Lead Systems Engineer):
That sounds good, but what if something goes wrong? Do we have a rollback plan in place?
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Absolutely. First, we’ll use a tiered deployment approach: starting with a small pilot group, then pre-production, and finally moving to full production.
On top of that, we’ve built a fully automated rollback script for each remediation. If any issues arise, the script will restore the original protocols and ciphers.
Jack (Lead Systems Engineer):
That sounds good. Since the fixes are just registry updates, I’m not too concerned.
Josh (VM Security Analyst):
Exactly. It’s simple but effective.
CAB Facilitator:
Any other questions?
(Silence)
CAB Facilitator:
Great, that wraps up this week’s CAB meeting. See you all next week!
All:
See you later!
Remediation Round 1: Outdated Wireshark Removal
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
Remediation Round 2: Insecure Protocols & Ciphers
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
Remediation Round 3: Guest Account Group Membership
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
Remediation Round 4: Windows OS Updates
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.