Vulnerability Assessment

A systematic process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing security weaknesses in systems, networks, applications, or processes that could be exploited to compromise personal data confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Vulnerability assessments typically involve: automated scanning tools identifying known vulnerabilities, manual testing for logic flaws and configuration issues, code review identifying security weaknesses, penetration testing simulating attacks, and risk prioritization based on exploitability and impact. Organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments regularly, after significant changes, and before deploying new systems. Findings should be: documented with severity ratings, prioritized for remediation, tracked through resolution, and verified through retesting. Under GDPR Article 32, organizations must regularly test and evaluate security effectiveness, making vulnerability assessments a compliance requirement. Organizations should: establish regular assessment schedules, use qualified internal or external assessors, prioritize remediation based on data sensitivity and risk, maintain evidence of assessments and remediation, and integrate vulnerability management into broader security programs. Identifying vulnerabilities without addressing them demonstrates negligence if breaches occur through known weaknesses.