Certified: The Security+ Prepcast

Expanding on the concepts of vulnerability prioritization, this episode introduces industry-standard scoring and classification systems like CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) and CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a structured way to quantify and compare risks. We explain how CVSS scores are calculated using metrics like attack complexity, required privileges, user interaction, and impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. We also explore how to layer environmental and organizational factors on top of these base scores—for example, a CVSS 9.8 vulnerability on a production server is more urgent than the same issue on an isolated test machine. We highlight tools that aggregate vulnerability data, assign custom risk scores, and integrate with patch management and ticketing systems. Ultimately, these systems provide consistency, transparency, and repeatability for vulnerability decisions, helping teams stay focused and accountable in fast-paced threat landscapes.