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VPM-03.1: Vulnerability Exploitation Analysis

VPM 5 — Medium Protect

Mechanisms exist to identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities.

Control Question: Does the organization identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities?

General (4)
Framework Mapping Values
AICPA TSC 2017:2022 (used for SOC 2) (source) CC3.2-POF9 CC3.4-POF6
ISO/SAE 21434 2021 RQ-08-05 RQ-08-06 RQ-08-07.a RQ-09-03.a RQ-09-03.b RQ-09-03.c RQ-09-03.d RQ-09-03.e RQ-09-03.f RQ-09-04
SPARTA CM0016
TISAX ISA 6 5.2.5
US (2)
Framework Mapping Values
US DHS ZTCF EPM-02
US - NY DFS 23 NYCRR500 2023 Amd 2 500.5(c)

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

There is no evidence of a capability to identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

C|P-CMM1 is N/A, since a structured process is required to identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Vulnerability & Patch Management (VPM) efforts are requirements-driven and governed at a local/regional level, but are not consistent across the organization. CMM Level 2 control maturity would reasonably expect all, or at least most, the following criteria to exist: o Identify cybersecurity and data protection controls to address applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements for ASM. o Apply software patches and other vulnerability remediation efforts.

  • Attack Surface Management (ASM) is decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices.
  • IT/cybersecurity personnel:
  • Administrative processes and technologies focus on protecting High Value Assets (HVAs), including environments where sensitive/regulated data is stored, transmitted and processed.
Level 3 — Well Defined

Vulnerability & Patch Management (VPM) efforts are standardized across the organization and centrally managed, where technically feasible, to ensure consistency. CMM Level 3 control maturity would reasonably expect all, or at least most, the following criteria to exist: o Defines the scope of ASM activities. o Provides governance oversight for the implementation of applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual cybersecurity and data protection controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity, availability and safety of the organization's applications, systems, services and data with regards to ASM. o Provides oversight of ASM activities to centrally manage the flaw remediation process as part of the organization's overall Patch& Vulnerability & Patch Management Program (VPMP). o Manages the identification, tracking and remediation of vulnerabilities. o Utilizes a Security Incident Event monitor (SIEM), or similar automated tool, to monitor for unauthorized activities, accounts, connections, devices and software according to organization-specific Indicators of Compromise (IoC), including feeds from applications, hosts, network devices and vulnerability scanners.

  • An IT Asset Management (ITAM) function, or similar function, categorizes devices according to the data the asset stores, transmits and/ or processes and applies the appropriate technology controls to protect the asset and data.
  • A Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) function, or similar function:
  • A Security Operations Center (SOC), or similar function:
  • Asset custodians install the latest stable version of security-related updates on all systems within the organization-defined time requirements.
Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

See C|P-CMM3. There are no defined C|P-CMM4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities.

Level 5 — Continuously Improving

See C|P-CMM4. There are no defined C|P-CMM5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to identify, assess, prioritize and document the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities. activities.

Assessment Objectives

  1. VPM-03.1_A01 on at least an annual basis, a threat assessment is performed to identify and assess applicable internal and external threats.
  2. VPM-03.1_A02 a threat catalog captures applicable internal and external threats from the threat assessment.
  3. VPM-03.1_A03 the scope of Attack Surface Management (ASM) is defined.
  4. VPM-03.1_A04 vulnerability scanning activities are performed against the scope of ASM to identify applicable vulnerabilities.
  5. VPM-03.1_A05 the organization documents the potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting known vulnerabilities.
  6. VPM-03.1_A06 each item in the threat catalog is prioritized, based on potential impact(s) and likelihood(s) of applicable internal and external threats exploiting identified vulnerabilities.

Technology Recommendations

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