1. Purpose
Establish a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, treating, and reporting on security vulnerabilities across [ORGANIZATION]'s enterprise assets and software.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all enterprise assets, operating systems, applications, network devices, and services within [ORGANIZATION]'s environment, including cloud-hosted resources.
3. Policy
3.1 Vulnerability Scanning
[ORGANIZATION] shall perform automated vulnerability scanning on all enterprise assets no less frequently than [CUSTOMIZE: monthly/weekly] using authenticated scans where technically feasible.
External-facing assets shall be scanned at least [CUSTOMIZE: weekly/monthly] from an external perspective in addition to internal scans.
Vulnerability scanning tools shall be kept current with the latest vulnerability signatures and detection capabilities.
Scan results shall be centrally collected, correlated, and analyzed within [CUSTOMIZE: 48 hours/1 week] of scan completion.
3.2 Vulnerability Remediation SLAs
Identified vulnerabilities shall be remediated according to the following SLAs based on severity:
| Severity (CVSS) | Remediation SLA | Escalation If Missed |
|---|---|---|
| Critical (9.0-10.0) | [CUSTOMIZE: 7/14] calendar days | Immediate escalation to CISO |
| High (7.0-8.9) | [CUSTOMIZE: 30] calendar days | Escalation to IT Security Manager |
| Medium (4.0-6.9) | [CUSTOMIZE: 60/90] calendar days | Included in quarterly review |
| Low (0.1-3.9) | [CUSTOMIZE: 90/180] calendar days or next maintenance window | Annual review |
3.3 Vulnerability Exception Process
When a vulnerability cannot be remediated within the defined SLA, a documented exception shall be submitted to [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Security Team] including: vulnerability details, affected systems, reason remediation is not feasible, compensating controls implemented, risk acceptance justification, and proposed review date.
Vulnerability exceptions shall be reviewed at least [CUSTOMIZE: quarterly] and revalidated or expired.
Compensating controls for excepted vulnerabilities shall be verified as effective through testing.
3.4 Threat Intelligence
[ORGANIZATION] shall subscribe to and monitor relevant threat intelligence sources including: vendor security advisories, US-CERT/CISA alerts, industry-specific ISACs, and CVE databases.
Critical threat intelligence affecting [ORGANIZATION]'s technology stack shall be evaluated within [CUSTOMIZE: 24/48] hours of receipt.
Vulnerability prioritization shall consider not only CVSS scores but also: exploitability in the wild, relevance to [ORGANIZATION]'s environment, and asset criticality.
4. Compliance
Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all personnel within its scope. Compliance will be monitored through periodic audits, automated controls, and management review.
Exceptions to this policy must be documented with a business justification, approved by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Security Team], and reviewed at least annually.
5. Enforcement
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or contract, and may result in civil or criminal penalties where applicable law has been violated.
[ORGANIZATION] reserves the right to audit compliance with this policy at any time, with or without notice.
6. Review and Revision
This policy shall be reviewed at least annually by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Policy Owner] and updated as necessary to reflect changes in the threat landscape, regulatory requirements, or organizational structure.
All revisions shall be documented with version number, date, author, and description of changes.
Policy Approval
Approved By
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