When prioritizing vulnerabilities for remediation, which should be addressed first?

The most critical vulnerabilities should be addressed first because they pose the greatest risk to the organization's assets, data, and overall security posture. Vulnerabilities classified as critical typically have the potential to cause significant damage or breach security defenses if exploited. By prioritizing these vulnerabilities, organizations can effectively mitigate the risk of a severe incident that could lead to data loss, financial theft, or reputational harm.

In the context of vulnerability management, addressing critical vulnerabilities aligns with the principle of risk management, which emphasizes focusing limited resources on the most severe threats. This approach not only helps in safeguarding the organization's critical assets but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements that may mandate timely remediation of high-risk vulnerabilities.

While considering the number of instances or CVSS score are important aspects of vulnerability prioritization, they do not inherently indicate the urgency of addressing the vulnerability as directly as the criticality classification does. Similarly, while addressing easier vulnerabilities might provide quick wins, it does not effectively reduce the most serious risks in the environment. Addressing critical vulnerabilities first ensures that the most pressing threats are handled proactively.