How Often Should You Run A Vulnerability Scan?

Your company is like a fortress under siege, except the attackers are invisible; they work nonstop and never take holidays. While you're celebrating an outstanding quarterly performance in your office, it's hard to imagine hackers being three steps ahead of you and already probing every digital door and window out there. The million-dollar question may not be if the intruders make their way in, but rather if you catch them before they do so.

Hackers Don't Take Breaks

An uncomfortable truth: Cybercriminals are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, trying to figure out new ways to exploit your systems. While you get some shut-eye, they're up plotting. While you sip on your morning coffee, they're out scanning for weaknesses. So, why would you check your defenses only once a year?

Monthly scans are the least that most businesses can opt for. Think of it as their digital physical. Here's the differentiator, though: high-risk industries such as finance or healthcare should do weekly scans. Why? Because the cost of a single breach weighs much more heavily than the cost of regular scanning.

Beyond the Basic Scan: The Complete Picture

A comprehensive application vulnerability scan is not just about finding holes in your software; it's also about understanding your entire digital ecosystem. But what most businesses miss is that technical scanning is only half the battle.

It is their staff who are usually the weakest link; thus, email phishing simulation becomes a critical process. This shows how easily staff might fall for clicking on a malicious link to an entry point that any technical scan cannot detect.

The Strategic Approach

Smart businesses don't just scan randomly. They create a rhythm:

Critical systems: Weekly scans

General infrastructure: Monthly reviews

Employee training: Quarterly phishing tests

Comprehensive audits: Annual deep dives

SecDesk's Edge in Cybersecurity

Companies such as SecDesk have completely revised this practice by providing subscription-based scanning services. In other words, instead of burdening your internal teams, it provides continuous monitoring that is adjusted according to your business needs. To ensure the best cyber protection for the business, it is advisable to consult with members who understand that security is an ongoing process, not a one-time concept.

The Verdict

Look to your risk appetite when deciding on your vulnerability scanning schedule. Is it someone who is high-stakes? Scan every week. Lower risks? Once a month is the routine. But remember that in cybersecurity, "good enough" usually means "not good at all."

Don't wait for a mishap to occur on the digital highway. Start scanning today because the only thing predictable about cybersecurity threats is their unpredictable nature.