Network Security Organizations

This section primarily examines some of the exploits and vulnerabilities available to attackers. Prior to that though, it is important to look at where you can go to learn about vulnerabilities and other security-related information; several organizations are covered with the descriptions “in their own words” direct from their websites.

At one time, each vendor or manufacturer was responsible for tracking all the vulnerabilities that affected its products. The result was that different companies would report that same vulnerability, thereby causing some confusion—or perhaps they would not acknowledge the vulnerability until it became public. The network security industry realized that this was not efficient, and it created common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE). Do not misunderstand; CVE is not a database of vulnerabilities, but a dictionary that defines its role as follows: