VM Tools
Metrics

Vulnerability management metrics

Pallavi Vishwakarma
July 2, 2023

Do you think you're addressing vulnerabilities in the right way?

In order to prioritize existing vulnerabilities over newly discovered ones, you should perform a scan and report a few new vulnerabilities that have gone unpatched for more than 90 days.

What if the new weaknesses aren't more dangerous than the older ones? This is where picking the appropriate measures is useful.

Metrics are essential for assessing the performance of your business. Knowing how many of the gadgets in your company are routinely scanned for vulnerabilities is always a good idea. Before moving on, it's important to clarify what we mean by vulnerability management metrics.

What are Vulnerability management metrics?

Vulnerability management metrics are quantitative measures used to track the effectiveness of an organization's vulnerability management program. They provide insight into the state of an organization's security posture and identify areas that need improvement.

By tracking these metrics, organizations can identify trends and patterns in their vulnerability management program, measure progress over time, and make informed decisions to improve their overall security posture. Additionally, these metrics can be used to communicate the effectiveness of the vulnerability management program to stakeholders and demonstrate the value of security investments.

Top 10 Vulnerability management metrics:

  1. Vulnerability Density: 

This metric measures the number of vulnerabilities per system or application. It is calculated by dividing the total number of vulnerabilities by the total number of systems or applications. A high vulnerability density indicates that there are more vulnerabilities to remediate, which could lead to a higher risk of exploitation. Organizations should aim to keep vulnerability density low.

  1. Time to Remediation: 

This metric measures the time it takes to remediate a vulnerability from the time it is discovered. It is calculated by subtracting the discovery date from the remediation date. A lower time to remediation indicates that vulnerabilities are being addressed quickly and reduces the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit them. Organizations should aim for a short time to remediation to reduce risk.

  1. Patch Coverage: 

This metric measures the percentage of systems or applications that have the latest patches installed. It is calculated by dividing the number of systems or applications with the latest patches by the total number of systems or applications. A high patch coverage indicates that systems are up-to-date and less vulnerable to known vulnerabilities. Organizations should aim for high patch coverage to reduce the risk of exploitation.

  1. False Positive Rate: 

This metric measures the percentage of reported vulnerabilities that are later found to be false positives. It is calculated by dividing the number of false positives by the total number of reported vulnerabilities. A high false positive rate can lead to wasted time and resources on unnecessary remediation efforts. Organizations should aim to keep false positive rates low.

  1. Risk Reduction: 

This metric measures the effectiveness of vulnerability management by tracking the reduction in risk over time. It is calculated by comparing the baseline risk level to the current risk level after vulnerabilities have been remediated. A successful vulnerability management program should reduce the overall risk to the organization by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities.

  1. Vulnerability Severity Distribution: 

This metric measures the distribution of vulnerability severity levels across an organization's systems or applications. It can help identify which vulnerabilities are the most critical and require immediate attention. Organizations should prioritize the remediation of high-severity vulnerabilities.

  1. Vulnerability Age: 

This metric measures the amount of time that vulnerabilities have been present in an organization's systems or applications. It is calculated by subtracting the vulnerability discovery date from the current date. A high vulnerability age indicates that vulnerabilities may not be getting addressed in a timely manner. Organizations should aim to remediate vulnerabilities as soon as possible.

  1. Vulnerability Discovery Source: 

This metric tracks where vulnerabilities are discovered (e.g., external penetration testing, internal vulnerability scans, bug bounty programs). It can help organizations understand which methods are most effective at identifying vulnerabilities. Organizations should use a variety of methods to discover vulnerabilities and prioritize the most effective ones.

  1. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): 

This metric measures the average amount of time between vulnerability discoveries or exploits. It is calculated by dividing the total time by the number of occurrences. A low MTBF indicates that vulnerabilities are being discovered or exploited more frequently, which could indicate a need for additional security measures. Organizations should aim for a high MTBF to reduce risk.

  1. Cost of Remediation: 

This metric measures the cost of remediating vulnerabilities. It can help organizations understand the financial impact of their vulnerability management program and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. Organizations should aim to keep remediation costs low while still effectively addressing vulnerabilities.

By tracking these metrics, organizations can identify trends and patterns in their vulnerability management program and make informed decisions to improve their overall security posture.


SecOps Solution is an award-winning agent-less Full-stack Vulnerability and Patch Management Platform that helps organizations identify, prioritize and remediate security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in seconds.

To schedule a demo, just pick a slot that is most convenient for you.

Related Blogs