{"id":54192,"date":"2023-10-18T14:46:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.networkworld.com\/article\/3708811\/backbox-adds-network-vulnerability-management-to-automation-platform.html#tk.rss_security"},"modified":"2023-10-18T14:46:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:46:00","slug":"backbox-adds-network-vulnerability-management-to-automation-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/backbox-adds-network-vulnerability-management-to-automation-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"BackBox adds network vulnerability management to automation platform"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BackBox this week announced its Network Vulnerability Manager (NVM), a software add-on to its existing Network Automation Platform, that will enable network managers to automate operating system upgrades, network configuration updates, and various remediations across firewalls and other network and security devices.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommon vulnerability management tools focus on endpoints and are designed for security teams rather than network teams,\u201d says Josh Stephens, CTO of BackBox. \u201cBackBox\u2019s vulnerability management capabilities have been specifically engineered for network operations teams<\/a> in the way that they operate and to accelerate their path toward network automation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Available now, NVM works with the BackBox Network Automation Platform, a virtual appliance that can either be run on-premises or in a data center or delivered by BackBox via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. NVM uses machine learning to collect and collate vulnerability data from the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as well as several other sources, including vendor web sites.<\/p>\n

As part of its automation platform<\/a>, NVM queries the network, dynamically discovers the devices, identifies what OS they are on, what configuration is relevant to the common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE), and then it compares all that data with known vulnerability information. NVM can recommend if a configuration change is needed or disable a service because of a known vulnerability, for example. It can also automatically apply operating system updates or patches<\/a> to resolve identified vulnerabilities if customers approve the automated actions.<\/p>\n

With the addition of NVM, the BackBox platform now offers network teams a vulnerability management process that can identify vulnerabilities and classify them by threat level as they surface. The software can be customized to prioritize vulnerabilities according to the needs of each customer\u2019s unique network environment. NVM can be enabled to automate remediation of issues, for instance by making configuration changes or applying patches. Network managers can also simplify OS and firmware updates with the built-in backups, single-click rollbacks, and integrated pre- and post-update validations provided in NVM. The software can also help network teams with device lifecycle management and automates hardware upgrades around vendor-driven EOL (End of Life) data.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we have done is combined this vulnerability management information with our automation capabilities so that network engineers can really start to get their arms around the threat landscape and begin to prioritize these upgrades and manage the ongoing part of lifecycle maintenance of the network,\u201d Stephens says.<\/p>\n