CySA+ exam prep: vulnerability management
You set up a scanning programme, tune scans, validate findings, prioritise them in context and complete remediation through change management.
Level 301 · 15 lessons · 12 practice labs
Lessons
Scanning
- A vulnerability management programme: scope, frequency, owners
- Scan types: credentialed, uncredentialed, agent-based, passive
- Tuning scans: sensitivity, scheduling, exclusions
- Special targets: industrial systems, IoT and virtualisation
- Short task: scan the target network with and without credentials and explain the difference
Analysis and prioritisation
- Validating findings: true, false positive, false negative
- Reading a CVSS vector and weighting it by context
- Interpreting web vulnerability findings
- Configuration weaknesses and baseline scans
- Short task: pick the top five of fifty findings and justify them
Remediation
- Remediation and compensating controls
- Applying patches through change management
- Exceptions, risk acceptance and obstacles to remediation
- Preventing vulnerabilities early in secure development
- Capstone: complete the scan, prioritise and remediate cycle
Practice labs
- Prepare scan scope and exclusions: From Demirkaya Lojistik's asset list you write scan targets, sensitive systems to exclude and the time window into a scope file.
- Compare credentialed and uncredentialed scans: You scan one target both ways, separate the findings visible only with credentials and explain why.
- Scan a fragile system without knocking it over: You tune rate, concurrency and check set for an old metering server and inventory it without interrupting service.
- Verify a version finding by hand: You check the real version and patch level of a service the scanner called outdated and confirm or reject the finding.
- Weight a CVSS score by context: You read five findings' vectors and re-rank them by internet exposure, asset value and compensating controls.
- Pick the top five of fifty findings: In a fifty-finding report you merge duplicates, weed out false positives and pick five to close this week with reasons.
- Run a baseline configuration check: You run a baseline scan checking password, SSH and kernel settings on a server and list the failing items.
- Interpret web scan findings: You verify a web scan's missing header, old library and open directory findings by hand and rank the real risk.
- Find a weakness that came back after patching: You prove a finding reported closed returned because of configuration management and apply the lasting fix.
- Turn a finding into a remediation ticket: You write a ticket for a critical finding with owner, deadline, fix step and verification method.
- Apply a compensating control to an unpatchable system: You restrict the exposed service of a server that cannot be updated with a firewall and access list and show by scanning that the risk dropped.
- Patch in a maintenance window and roll back if needed: You patch a web server under a change record and snapshot, roll back a broken app and close it verified on the second try.
About this course
You set up a scanning programme, tune scans, validate findings, prioritise them in context and complete remediation through change management.
What you will learn
- Scanning
- Analysis and prioritisation
- Remediation
Prerequisites
You should be comfortable with the level 101 and 201 topics of the same path.
Lab environment
Lessons run in your own Kali Linux terminal in the browser, connected to a private lab network. Nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this course right for my level?
- The course is at level 301; it assumes you know the topics of the lower-level courses.
- Is there anything to install?
- No. Every lesson runs in your own lab environment that opens in the browser.
- How do lessons work?
- Each lesson has 8 to 10 steps and a short quiz. Early steps show the command to type, later steps give less help; if two attempts fail, the solution opens.
- Can I try it for free?
- Yes. The first three lessons of every course are free.