Part $7$: Techniques and approaches to discover system vulnerabilities and protect information assets $($CLO$5)$

An organization recognizes the growing threat of social engineering attacks and aims to enhance employee awareness to prevent unauthorized access and information leaks. The major concern is about the security of its network infrastructure. The organization decides to conduct a network vulnerability assessment to identify potential weaknesses. Other than network security, the organization is keen to protect its applications to protect sensitive customer data.

You should report on the following:

$1.$ What techniques can be employed during network vulnerability assessment to discover potential vulnerabilities? Provide at least $3$ tools available for the vulnerability assessments.

$2.$ How can the organization prioritize and address vulnerabilities identified during the assessment?

$3.$ What approaches can be used to simulate social engineering attacks during employee training?

$4.$ How can the organization foster a culture of vigilance and reporting among employees to combat social engineering threats?

$5.$ What techniques can be applied during an application security assessment to uncover vulnerabilities? Provide at least $3$ tools available for the vulnerability assessments.

$6.$ How can the organization integrate security into the software development lifecycle to prevent and address vulnerabilities proactively?

$7.$ Suggest most important factors that should be considered when evaluating the three competing vendors who you have shortlisted to purchase security solutions from.