Assessment Of Vulnerability Scanners

Abstract

Securing information over the Internet can be facilitated by a multitude of security technologies. Technologies such as intrusion detection systems, anti-virus software, firewalls and crypto devices have all contributed significantly to the security of information. This article focuses on vulnerability scanners (VSs). A VS has a vulnerability database containing hundreds of known vulnerabilities, which it scans for. VSs do not scan for the same type of vulnerabilities since the vulnerability databases for each VS differ extensively. In addition, there is an overlap of vulnerabilities between the vulnerability databases of various VSs. The concept of harmonised vulnerability categories is introduced in this paper. Harmonised vulnerability categories consider the entire scope of known vulnerabilities across various VSs in a bid to act as a mediator in assessing the vulnerabilities that VSs scan for. Harmonised vulnerability categories, thus, are used to do an objective assessment of the vulnerability database of a VS.