As cyber threats grow in sophistication, Indian regulators have strengthened their stance on Vulnerability Management and VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing).
- CERT-In mandates timely reporting of incidents and proactive vulnerability assessments under the IT Act.
- RBI Master Directions require banks and financial institutions to conduct regular VAPT, integrate findings into governance, and notify CERT-In of incidents.
- SEBI emphasizes structured vulnerability management for market intermediaries, with periodic audits and remediation tracking.
- STQC provides certification frameworks ensuring applications meet security and quality benchmarks.
To align with these mandates, organizations must adopt a multi-layered scanning approach:
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing): Detects vulnerabilities in source code before deployment.
- DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing): Identifies runtime flaws during execution.
- SCA (Software Composition Analysis): Manages risks from third-party libraries and open-source dependencies.
Best Practices for Compliance:
- Integrate SAST/DAST/SCA into CI/CD pipelines for continuous validation.
- Maintain SBOMs (Software Bill of Materials) for supply chain transparency.
- Establish dashboards for audit readiness and regulatory reporting.
- Ensure timely remediation and governance oversight.
By embedding vulnerability management into development and operations, organizations can achieve regulatory compliance, operational resilience, and proactive defense against evolving threats.
