Why Are 60% of Breaches Still Happening Despite Vulnerability Scanning?

What's the Devastating Gap in Your Vulnerability Management Strategy?

I work with companies every day who struggle with vulnerability management. They scan their systems, patch what they can, and still get breached. Why? Because they're missing a critical piece of the puzzle.

Let me share what I've learned about making vulnerability management actually work.

The Problem We All Face

Every single day, 133 new vulnerabilities pop up. That's from the National Vulnerability Database. But here's what really keeps me up at night - over 60% of breaches happen because of known vulnerabilities that never got patched.

I see this pattern everywhere. Companies run their scans, look at CVSS scores, and think they're safe. They're not. The threat landscape changes too fast for that old approach to work.

What Threat Intelligence Actually Means

When I talk about threat intelligence, I mean real-time information about what's happening right now in the cyber world. Not theoretical stuff - actual threats.

Here's what you get:

• Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) - These are like fingerprints that show someone broke into your system. Think of them as breadcrumbs that lead you to the problem.
• Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) - This is how bad actors work. Their playbook. Their methods. When you know how they operate, you can spot them coming.
• Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities - These aren't just theoretical problems. These are vulnerabilities being used right now to attack real companies.
• Threat Actor Patterns - Every group has habits. They leave traces. When you know what to look for, you can catch them faster.

How This Changes Your Vulnerability Game

You Get Early Warnings

I've seen companies get hit because they waited for official announcements. With threat intelligence, you know about problems before they become headlines.

Take CVE-2024-4577. This was a critical vulnerability in PHP-CGI on Windows. Companies with good threat intelligence feeds knew about active exploitation before most people even heard about the vulnerability. They could protect themselves while others were still figuring out what happened.

You Know What's Actually Being Used

Here's something that surprised me when I first started in this field. Old vulnerabilities come back. CVE-2017-12637 was patched in 2017, but attackers started using it again in 2025. Without threat intelligence, you'd never know to prioritize an old patch.

You Understand the Big Picture

Threat intelligence doesn't just tell you about individual vulnerabilities. It shows you campaigns. Patterns. Connections.

For example, CVE-2025-1324 in SAP NetWeaver wasn't just a random bug. Chinese APT groups were using it specifically to deploy web shells. When you know that context, you can prepare better defenses.

You Can Handle Zero-Days

Zero-day vulnerabilities are the worst. No patch exists yet, but attackers are already using them. I've seen companies completely unprepared for this scenario.

Recently, a zero-day hit CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System). Linux servers everywhere were at risk. Companies with threat intelligence feeds spotted the exploitation attempts early. They could implement workarounds and virtual patching while waiting for official fixes.

Your Scanners Get Smarter

When you integrate threat intelligence with your vulnerability scanners, something magical happens. Your tools stop treating all vulnerabilities the same way. They prioritize based on real-world risk, not just theoretical scores.

You don't wait for the next scan cycle. Your scanner alerts you when new, relevant CVEs appear that actually affect your technology stack.

You Can Hunt for Threats

After a major disclosure, you can look backward. Use IOCs and TTPs to search your logs. Find out if you were already compromised before you even knew about the vulnerability.

The Real Benefits I've Seen

Stay Ahead of Problems - You detect and assess new vulnerabilities before they become widespread attacks. Your team can prioritize and contain issues while attackers are still figuring out how to use them.

Fix Things Faster - When you know what's being actively exploited, you move faster. Less time between discovery and fix means less risk.

See the Bigger Picture - You understand which threats actually matter to your industry. No more treating every vulnerability the same way.

Catch More Attacks - IOCs and behavior data help you spot threats that traditional scanning misses. You detect attacks earlier and contain them better.

Respond with Purpose - During incidents, you know what you're dealing with. Attacker motives, tools, entry points - all clear. Your response is focused and effective.

My Advice for Getting Started

Start small. Pick one threat intelligence feed that covers your industry. Integrate it with your existing tools. Watch how it changes your perspective on vulnerabilities.

Don't try to boil the ocean. Focus on the vulnerabilities that matter most to your business. Use threat intelligence to separate signal from noise.

Remember - vulnerability management isn't about finding every flaw. It's about fixing the right flaws before they hurt you. Threat intelligence helps you figure out which ones those are.

The companies that get this right don't just survive cyber attacks. They prevent them.