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Technical Aspects of Threats and Vulnerabilities
15 min read Cybersecurity
1. Understanding Threats
A threat is any potential danger that could exploit a vulnerability to cause harm to an information system or organization.
Types of Threats
| Threat Type | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Malware | Malicious software | Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Ransomware |
| Social Engineering | Human manipulation | Phishing, Pretexting, Baiting |
| Network Attacks | Attacks on network infrastructure | DoS, DDoS, MITM, Spoofing |
| Application Attacks | Exploiting software flaws | SQL Injection, XSS, Buffer Overflow |
| Insider Threats | Threats from within organization | Data theft, Sabotage, Negligence |
2. Understanding Vulnerabilities
A vulnerability is a weakness in a system, application, or process that can be exploited by a threat to gain unauthorized access or cause damage.
Categories of Vulnerabilities
- Software Vulnerabilities: Bugs, coding errors, design flaws
- Configuration Vulnerabilities: Misconfigurations, default settings
- Hardware Vulnerabilities: Physical flaws, firmware issues
- Human Vulnerabilities: Lack of training, negligence
- Process Vulnerabilities: Weak policies, inadequate procedures
3. Common Vulnerability Types
- CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures): Standardized vulnerability naming
- CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration): Categories of software weaknesses
- CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System): Severity rating (0-10)
OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities
- Broken Access Control
- Cryptographic Failures
- Injection (SQL, NoSQL, OS)
- Insecure Design
- Security Misconfiguration
- Vulnerable and Outdated Components
- Identification and Authentication Failures
- Software and Data Integrity Failures
- Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
- Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
4. Vulnerability Assessment Process
- Asset Identification: Identify systems to assess
- Vulnerability Scanning: Use automated tools
- Analysis: Review and prioritize findings
- Reporting: Document vulnerabilities
- Remediation: Fix identified vulnerabilities
- Verification: Confirm fixes are effective
5. Risk Calculation
Risk Formula:
Risk = Threat × Vulnerability × Impact
| CVSS Score | Severity | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | None | Informational |
| 0.1 - 3.9 | Low | Low |
| 4.0 - 6.9 | Medium | Medium |
| 7.0 - 8.9 | High | High |
| 9.0 - 10.0 | Critical | Critical |
Key Point:
Understanding the technical aspects of threats and vulnerabilities is essential for effective risk management and security planning.