The approach to vulnerability management has evolved significantly over time. Previously, people relied on tools like Nessus to scan their data center networks and identify flaws in third-party software like operating systems, web browsers, and network device firmware. The quantity of flaws always exceeded the quantity of time available to fix them, and good approaches to prioritize the effort by actual risk to the organization did not emerge until fairly recently.
Today, the speed of cloud-based attacks has surged as adversaries leverage automation and AI techniques. This escalation has underscored the need to prioritize vulnerabilities based on their actual risk levels.