The digital era has ushered in new ways of doing things. While the new ways have a lot of benefits, they also have new security issues that have to addressed. Hackers are intelligent people. While some are out to hold the computer systems of corporations and governments hostage, others feel like they are providing a community service by exposing security holes. Understanding that individuals with nefarious intentions are crawling around the internet is a reason to know if an application vulnerability exists in your systems.
Here are three reasons why you must know when any vulnerabilities exist in your applications.
Be Aware
Hackers are not only intelligent; they also have sizable egos. They take pride in being able to expose deficiencies in systems. These individuals possess extremely sharp skills, so if they happen to find a glitch, it does not mean that others will, too. You should, however, be aware when any holes are present. If you deal with customer financial information that is extremely sensitive, you cannot allow it to be discovered by anyone who does not have permission to view it. Lawsuits in these cases are extremely expensive, cumbersome and time-consuming.
Take Action
Once you know what vulnerabilities your system is experiencing, you can take action. Whether you have your IT department handle it, or you hire third-party professionals to complete the job, the holes must be patched. Then, everything has to be tested to ensure nothing else was negatively impacted.
Continuous Monitoring
Once any application vulnerabilities have been found and patched, the next step is to ensure there continues to be ongoing monitoring. It is amazing that something can be secure today but not tomorrow based on what hackers can do, but it is reality.
You are not alone, though. Professional and computer security services are readily available.
