Cisco Vulnerability Management: Detailed Explanation of Features & Pricing

by Mohamed El-Shayeb

What is Kenna Security (Now known as Cisco Vulnerability Management)? 

Kenna Security (Now part of Cisco and known as Cisco Vulnerability Management) is a cybersecurity offering that specialises in risk-based vulnerability management. The platform is designed to help organisations prioritise and mitigate potential security threats based on the risk they pose. Cisco Vulnerability Management or Kenna Security utilises data science and machine learning algorithms to analyse and prioritise vulnerabilities, allowing organisations to focus their resources on addressing the most critical issues first. 

Key features of Cisco Vulnerability Management’s platform include vulnerability detection, risk scoring, and remediation recommendations. The platform aggregates data from various sources, including vulnerability scanners, threat intelligence feeds, and exploit databases, to provide a comprehensive view of an organisation's security posture. Through its risk-based approach, Cisco Vulnerability Management helps organisations make informed decisions about where to allocate resources to effectively manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. 

The importance of cybersecurity in today's digital landscape cannot be overstated. With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, businesses face a constant challenge to safeguard their sensitive information and digital assets. Cybersecurity measures, including vulnerability management solutions like Cisco Vulnerability Management, are crucial for protecting against data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. As businesses and individuals alike rely more on digital technologies, the need for robust cybersecurity practices has become paramount to ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information. The proactive identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities are integral components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy in the face of evolving and persistent cyber threats. 

Key Features of Kenna Security  

Cisco Vulnerability Management (formerly Kenna.VM or Kenna Security) has an array of features that comprehensively provide a robust platform to identify, prioritise and address security risks. These features are:  

1. Real-Time Monitoring: 

Continuous and proactive monitoring of the network and systems to identify potential vulnerabilities or security issues in real-time. 

2. Risk Management: 

Assessment and management of security risks associated with identified vulnerabilities, allowing organisations to prioritize and address the most critical threats. 

3. Maintenance Scheduling: 

Capability to schedule and plan maintenance activities, including security updates, patches, and other remediation tasks to minimize disruptions to operations. 

4. Policy Management: 

Implementation and enforcement of security policies to ensure that systems and networks adhere to established security standards and compliance requirements.

5. Vulnerability Scanning: 

Automated scanning of systems, applications, and networks to identify and catalog vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or misconfigurations. 

6. Database Security Audit: 

Evaluation and auditing of database security to identify and address potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in database systems. 

7. Vulnerability Protection: 

Implementation of measures to protect against known vulnerabilities, such as deploying security patches, configuring settings, or employing other preventive measures. 

8. Prioritisation: 

Assessment of vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact, enabling organisations to prioritise remediation efforts effectively. 

9. Compliance Reporting: 

Generation of reports to demonstrate compliance with industry regulations and standards, helping organisations meet legal and regulatory requirements.

10. Patch Management: 

Management of security patches, including identification, testing, and deployment to address vulnerabilities and keep systems up-to-date. 

11. Sensitive Data Identification: 

Identification and classification of sensitive data within the organisation, helping to prioritise protection measures for critical information. 

12. Multiple System Support: 

Support for a variety of systems, applications, and network devices to ensure a comprehensive approach to vulnerability management across the entire IT infrastructure. 

13. Asset Discovery: 

Automatic discovery and inventory of assets within the organisation's network, helping to maintain an accurate and up-to-date asset list. 

14. Asset Tagging: 

Labelling and categorisation of assets for better organisation, tracking, and management of vulnerabilities associated with specific assets. 

15. Network Scanning: 

Scanning and analysis of network infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities and potential points of exploitation. 

16. Vulnerability Assessment: 

Comprehensive evaluation of vulnerabilities, including their likelihood and potential impact, to guide effective remediation efforts. 

17. Reporting: 

Customisable dashboards and intuitive visualisations ensure Kenna's reporting empowers informed decision-making to enhance overall security resilience. 

Kenna Security Pricing

Cisco Vulnerability Management (Formerly Kenna Security) pricing models provided by Orixcom, follow a monthly subscription per device and include a range of features aimed at vulnerability management, risk assessment, and remediation prioritisation. Additionally, the plans offer variations in terms of included functionalities, with higher-tier plans incorporating more advanced features and intelligence, such as Cisco Talos-powered Zero-Day Intelligence and enhanced analytics capabilities. Here are the details of each plan:  

1. Kenna.VM: 

• Vulnerability Data Ingestion 
• Risk Meters 
• Scoring for vulnerabilities, assets, and risk meters 
• Top Fix Groups 
• Ticketing System Integration 
• Risk Meter Reporting 
• Peer Benchmarking (Risk Score, MTTR, Vulnerability Density) 
• Orixcom Managed Services included 

Note: Reduced pricing is available for more than 499 devices.

2. Kenna.VM Premier: 

• All features from Kenna.VM 
• Remediation Analytics and Scoring 
• Zero-Day Intelligence powered by Cisco Talos 
• Vulnerability Intelligence Tab within User Interface
• Vulnerability Intelligence API 
• Orixcom Managed Services included 

Note: Reduced pricing is available for more than 499 devices.

3. Kenna Application Security: 

• All features from Kenna.VM Premier 
• Execute a triage workflow for categorizing application security findings 
• Prioritise remediation efforts based on risk 
• Bring application security data from various sources into a unified view 
• Orixcom Managed Services included  

The tiered structure allows users to choose a plan that aligns with their organisation's specific needs and scale. Businesses with more than 499 devices may benefit from reduced pricing, encouraging scalability and flexibility based on the size of the environment.

Kenna Integrations  

Kenna Security (Now known as Cisco Vulnerability Management) offers a range of integrations to provide a comprehensive and seamless cybersecurity solution. Integrations play a crucial role in enhancing the functionality of Kenna Security's platform by connecting it with other security tools and systems. Kenna Security provides APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow for integration with other security solutions and third-party applications, enhancing its versatility within a broader security ecosystem.  Here's an overview of Kenna integrations and key partnerships that contribute to the effectiveness of Kenna Security: 

1. Vulnerability Scanners:

Integration with popular vulnerability scanning tools allows Kenna Security to ingest data from these scanners, providing a more comprehensive view of an organisation's vulnerabilities. 

2. Threat Intelligence Feeds:

Connecting with threat intelligence feeds enhances Kenna Security's ability to identify emerging threats and correlate them with existing vulnerabilities, enabling proactive risk management. 

3. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM):

Integration with SIEM solutions allows Kenna Security to correlate vulnerability data with real-time security events, facilitating a more holistic and context-aware approach to risk assessment. 

4. Ticketing Systems:

Seamless integration with ticketing systems streamlines the remediation process by creating and managing tickets for identified vulnerabilities. This ensures that the remediation workflow aligns with existing IT processes. 

5. Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP):

Integration with EPP solutions enables Kenna Security to incorporate endpoint data into its risk assessments, providing a more accurate picture of a business's security posture. 

6. Firewall Solutions:

Integration with firewall systems allows Kenna Security to assess vulnerabilities in the context of network security policies, helping organisations identify and address potential risks. 

7. Patch Management Tools:

Connecting with patch management tools enhances the ability to prioritise and deploy security patches for identified vulnerabilities, ensuring a more efficient and timely remediation process. 

Key Integrations for Seamless Cybersecurity: 

1. Cisco Talos:

As part of Cisco, Kenna Security benefits from integration with Cisco Talos, a threat intelligence and research organisation. This integration brings additional intelligence, including zero-day threat insights, to enhance the risk assessment capabilities of Kenna Security. 

2. Orixcom Managed Services:

The integration with Orixcom Managed Services provides an additional layer of support and management, offering extended services related to the deployment and optimisation of Kenna Security's solutions. 

3.Comprehensive Ecosystem Support:

Kenna Security is designed to integrate with a wide range of security tools and technologies, fostering a collaborative and interconnected cybersecurity ecosystem. This adaptability allows organisations to leverage their existing security investments while benefiting from Kenna Security's risk-based approach. 

4. Application Security Integrations:

For Kenna Application Security, the platform integrates with various application security tools, allowing organisations to centralise data from different sources, prioritise findings, and streamline remediation efforts for application-related vulnerabilities. 

FAQs  

• Risk Prioritisation: The score is used to prioritise vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and the likelihood of exploitation, allowing businesses to focus on addressing the most critical issues first. 
• Data-Driven Decision Making: The score is generated using data science and machine learning techniques, leveraging information from various sources such as vulnerability scanners, threat intelligence feeds, and other security tools. 
• Continuous Monitoring: The score is dynamically updated as new information becomes available, ensuring that organisations have real-time insights into their evolving risk landscape. 
• Integration with Risk Meters: The Vulnerability Score is often part of a broader risk management approach, where Risk Meters provide visual representations of an organisation's overall risk posture based on the cumulative impact of vulnerabilities. 
• Flexibility and Customisation: Organisations may have the flexibility to customise or adjust the scoring algorithm to align with their specific risk tolerance, business priorities, and security policies. 

3. What factors contribute to Kenna Security's risk scoring methodology?
Kenna Security's risk scoring methodology incorporates factors such as vulnerability severity, exploitability, asset context, vulnerability age, attack vector, threat intelligence, historical exploitation data, security controls, peer benchmarking, remediation metrics, and user-defined policies. These elements are dynamically analysed and weighted to generate a risk score for each vulnerability, prioritising critical risks for organisations and adapting to evolving threats.