Business operations and consumer engagements are rapidly moving to an environment that is permanently online and permanently connected. End consumers demand a user experience that enables them to switch between multiple applications and devices seamlessly.

However, a seamless customer experience across numerous applications requires an open network and easy accessibility to databases and applications. This, in turn, expands the attack surface of an enterprise by increasing exposure to cyber adversaries. A complex enterprise network with several applications, third-party integrations, devices, and the database has led to a rise in vulnerabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting work-from-home economy have expanded the attack surface of organizations. Organizations are placing a higher emphasis on protecting cloud-based applications, devices, and the human factor of security.

Vulnerability management has evolved significantly from its late 1990s origins as network scanners. Initially, these scanners were designed to probe servers for vulnerabilities and provided long lists of vulnerable endpoints.