Automated Vulnerability Management Workflow Engine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vulnerability management systems face challenges such as manual tracking, inadequate access controls, inconsistent reporting, and lack of automation, leading to delayed remediation and compliance issues in large IT environments.

Innovation Solution

An automated IT vulnerability management system that detects vulnerabilities, assigns them to stakeholders, receives remediation proposals, obtains approvals, and facilitates remediation, integrating with ITIL processes and a service provider's knowledgebase for efficient compliance and reporting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual tracking and management of vulnerabilities is used, then flexibility and ease of implementation are maintained, but productivity and remediation speed deteriorate due to time-consuming manual processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability remediation speedVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated self-service through workflow engines that automatically assign vulnerabilities to stakeholders, track remediation progress, and generate compliance reports without manual intervention, thereby increasing productivity while managing complexity through automation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring vulnerability tracking workflows, stakeholder assignments, and compliance frameworks before vulnerabilities are detected, enabling rapid automated response and improving remediation speed without proportionally increasing operational complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automated vulnerability management systems are implemented, then productivity and remediation speed improve, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability remediation throughputVSAvoidautomation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated system is segmented into modular components including vulnerability detection modules, workflow engines, stakeholder management modules, and reporting modules. This segmentation allows the system to handle high vulnerability throughput through specialized automated processes while managing complexity by breaking down the overall system into manageable, independently configurable parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements universal workflows that can handle multiple vulnerability types and remediation scenarios through a single automated framework. The workflow engine provides multi-functional capabilities to assign, track, and report on vulnerabilities across diverse IT environments, improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity through standardized automated processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of time

If manual vulnerability tracking processes are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but loss of time and remediation delays worsen due to manual coordination overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime to remediate vulnerabilitiesVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automated feedback loops that continuously monitor vulnerability status, automatically notify stakeholders of new vulnerabilities and remediation progress, and provide real-time compliance status updates. This feedback mechanism eliminates manual coordination delays while maintaining operational simplicity through automated information flow and status tracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Reliability

If comprehensive vulnerability tracking and reporting is implemented, then reliability and compliance improve, but device complexity and resource requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance assuranceVSAvoidreporting system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary configuration of compliance frameworks, reporting templates, and audit trails before vulnerability detection. This preliminary setup ensures reliable compliance tracking and reporting without proportionally increasing operational complexity, as the automated workflows and reporting mechanisms are pre-configured to handle compliance requirements systematically

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9253202B2IT vulnerability management system

Publication Date: 2016.02.02 STAPLES INC

AI summary

A system for automatically managing vulnerabilities may determine vulnerability data describing vulnerabilities in an information technology environment and then assign each vulnerability to a stakeholder for remediation. The system may receive a remediation proposal from the stakeholder, obtain approval for the remediation proposal, and facilitate remediation of the vulnerability based on the proposal.