Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Patch Management • RSA • Authentication

Vulnerability

Term from Information Security industry explained for recruiters

A vulnerability is like a weak spot or flaw in computer systems, software, or networks that could be exploited by attackers to cause harm. Think of it like a unlocked door in a house - it's a security weakness that needs to be fixed. Security professionals look for these weaknesses, report them, and help fix them before malicious actors can take advantage. The process of finding these weak spots is often called "vulnerability assessment" or "vulnerability scanning." This is a crucial part of keeping company systems and data safe from cyber threats.

Examples in Resumes

Conducted vulnerability assessments of enterprise networks and applications

Led team responsible for vulnerability management and remediation across 200+ servers

Implemented automated vulnerability scanning tools to improve security posture

Created reports documenting vulnerabilities found during security assessments

Typical job title: "Vulnerability Management Specialists"

Also try searching for:

Security Analyst Vulnerability Analyst Information Security Engineer Penetration Tester Security Assessment Specialist Vulnerability Management Engineer Information Security Consultant

Where to Find Vulnerability Management Specialists

Professional Organizations

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you implement a vulnerability management program for a large organization?

Expected Answer: A strong answer should cover creating policies, choosing scanning tools, prioritizing fixes based on risk, tracking progress, and working with different teams to fix issues. They should also mention reporting to management and measuring program success.

Q: How do you prioritize which vulnerabilities to address first?

Expected Answer: Should discuss factors like potential impact on business, ease of exploitation, exposure to critical systems, and available fixes. Should mention using standard scoring systems and business context in decision making.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What's your process for conducting a vulnerability assessment?

Expected Answer: Should describe steps like planning, scanning, verifying results, documenting findings, and making recommendations. Should mention both automated tools and manual checking.

Q: How do you handle false positives in vulnerability scans?

Expected Answer: Should explain verifying scan results, documenting confirmed false positives, adjusting scan settings, and maintaining a knowledge base to improve future scans.