External Vulnerability Scanning Requirements

This question asks whether you regularly check your systems from the outside - the way a hacker would see them - to find security weaknesses before bad actors do. Think of it like having a security expert try to break into your building to show you where the weak locks are. External scanning looks at your internet-facing systems (websites, APIs, servers) to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers who don't have insider access.

External vulnerability scanning directly impacts your ability to win enterprise contracts and maintain customer trust. Without regular external scans, you're essentially flying blind to the security gaps visible to attackers, risking data breaches that could destroy your reputation overnight. Companies with documented external scanning programs close deals 40% faster with security-conscious enterprises. More importantly, catching vulnerabilities before they're exploited prevents the average $4.45M cost of a data breach and protects your competitive advantage.

Many companies make the mistake of only scanning internally or relying solely on their cloud provider's security tools, missing critical application-layer vulnerabilities. Another common error is running scans once a year for compliance rather than continuously - vulnerabilities don't wait for your annual audit. Companies often scan production systems without including staging environments where new vulnerabilities get introduced first.