Quick Start

Available to: Researchers, IT Professionals

Cost: No charge for the immediate future but as we begin to on board IT partners, additional licenses may need to be procured. Contact us for licensing information.

Proper protection of your computing resources requires that you understand and actively manage vulnerabilities that may be exploited. IS&T offers vulnerability scanning services to help you ensure that your systems are properly configured, up to date, and secure.

Two types of scans are available: routinely scheduled and one-time on-demand scans. We generally recommend that systems be routinely scanned as new vulnerabilities are discovered every day, and a system that was secure yesterday might be at risk tomorrow.

Vulnerabilities are also reduced by properly securing the operating system; this is often referred to as “OS hardening.” Guidance on how to properly secure Windows, Linux, OSX, and AIX operating systems to comply with industry best practices and state and federal laws and regulations is available in the BU Data Protection Standards and in the best practice setup guides.  BU Information Security will also provide server-specific consulting, if needed.

Benefits

Vulnerability management helps protect University data, minimizes unplanned downtime, and mitigates the risk of accidental loss, unauthorized access, theft, or malicious destruction.

Vulnerability scanning supports the above, maximizing productivity by helping system owners and administrators understand, prioritize, and address the vulnerabilities in their systems.

Key Features

  • Operating System Hardening Guides and Consulting Services
    • Guidelines are updated based on industry best practice, University policy, and legal guidance
    • Information Security consulting is available to help ensure that the processes and documentation provided are understood and implemented correctly
  • Vulnerability Scanning Services and Program
    • One-time or scheduled vulnerability scans can be configured
    • Optional (required for IS&T) credentialed scans give you deeper and more accurate results, reducing false positives
    • Scan results provide prioritization of vulnerabilities so the most critical issues can be addressed first

What to Expect

This service normally will be available 24 by 7 except for standard change windows, as described in IS&T’s standard policies, procedures, and schedules for making changes

Requirements

  • Systems must be owned by Boston University and located on the BU network
  • Credentialed scans require a dedicated account with elevated access to the system to be scanned

Getting Started

  • Contact us to schedule a vulnerability scan or to request more information