Noise Reduction: How to make Vulnerability Management a Real Threat Awareness Tool
Vulnerability scanners are vital, but relying on them alone is foolhardy.
Recently, Picus Security dropped a solid piece titled “Supporting Vulnerability Scanners in the Modern Age.” It’s a thorough and refreshingly blunt look at why scanners are table stakes—but nowhere near a full meal. And frankly? They nailed it.
At Vigilant Violet, I’ve been banging this drum too: If you’re drowning in alerts with no sense of what’s actually exploitable, you’re not managing risk—you’re babysitting noise.
Scanners: Great Start, But They Don’t Finish the Fight
Let’s give scanners some credit. They tell us what’s outdated, what’s known to be vulnerable, and what’s misconfigured. Tools like Nessus, Qualys, and Burp Suite are foundational. The Picus article walks through how they work—from network discovery to CVSS/EPSS tagging—and why that’s important.
But here’s the kicker: they don’t know your environment.
They don’t know that a “critical” vulnerability is buried behind six layers of defense, or that a “medium” CVE is sitting on a publicly exposed web server leaking customer data.
That’s not a scanner’s fault—it’s just not their job. But if we don’t layer on validation? We’re working blind. And guess who owns that shortcoming? YOU!
Scanner Fatigue Is Real
The article calls this out with clarity: scanners flag everything as urgent. With over 40,000 new CVEs in 2024, and 60% of them tagged as high or critical, security teams are overwhelmed by a multitude of red flags. Most aren’t even exploitable in the wild. But the metrics we report? Well, as the saying goes, “If it bleeds, it leads,” and if we don’t carry the proper context forward to the Risk Teams and the Board Room, then the numbers look like Carrie White at the Prom – bloody as hell.
Exposure Validation: The Game Changer?
This is where the Picus article shines. It lays out a framework that aligns beautifully with what I preach here at Vigilant Violet: contextual, evidence-based security.
Here’s their three-part strategy (and I’m all in on this):
Utilize Breach & Attack Simulation (BAS) – Act like the adversary. Simulate tactics. Don’t just scan—attack.
Consider Automated Pen Testing – Mimic a breach and show how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Attack Surface Management (ASM) – Map out every exposed asset. Known, unknown, forgotten.
This trifecta doesn’t replace scanning—it elevates it. It adds signal to the noise.
Why CVSS and EPSS Alone Aren’t Enough
The article also breaks down the limitations of static scoring systems:
CVSS: Based on worst-case assumptions. Lacks environmental nuance.
EPSS: Better—focuses on real-world exploitation likelihood, but still doesn’t know your compensating controls.
Picus makes a clear case for pairing these scores with live simulations that ask:
“Can this vulnerability actually be exploited in my environment, right now?”
And really, that’s the question that matters.
So What Do You Do?
Scanner data + Exposure Validation = Prioritized Security.
Don’t ditch scanners. But validate what they find. Filter out noise. Focus on what’s actionable. That’s how you reduce fatigue, protect what matters, and stop wasting time on ghosts.
Takeaways (for the rebels in the back):
Scanners give you breadth; validation gives you depth.
CVSS/EPSS ≠ real risk without environmental context.
You need to know what your controls block, what they miss, and what attackers see.
Simulate. Test. Adapt. Always.
Sources Worth Your Time
Picus Security Blog: Supporting Vulnerability Scanners in the Modern Age
Gartner Market Guide for Exposure Management (2024)
Let’s cut through the noise. Let’s lead with context. Let’s prioritize what matters.
That’s how we keep systems safe—and stay rebellious doing it.
