Vulnerability scanning is the cornerstone of effective patch management — and one of the first practical steps toward achieving compliance with the ACSC Essential Eight. By continuously identifying missing updates, misconfiguration, and outdated software, vulnerability scanners give IT teams the visibility they need to patch systems before attackers can exploit known weaknesses.
From Maturity Level 1 through Level 3, vulnerability scanning supports the “Patch Applications” and “Patch Operating Systems” controls, helping organizations build a proactive approach to cyber hygiene. In short, you can’t fix what you can’t see — and scanning ensures nothing stays hidden for long.
Beyond Traditional Scanning
While dedicated vulnerability scanners remain the backbone of most security programs, modern Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR) platforms now include built-in scanning and patch management features. These tools automatically detect outdated software, missing updates, and exploitable configurations — then remediate them through integrated patch deployment.
For small to mid-sized environments, this convergence of scanning and patching into a single platform simplifies operations and aligns perfectly with the Essential Eight’s goal of maintaining securely configured and up-to-date systems. Whether you’re using an RMM like Action1 or an enterprise-grade EDR/XDR solution, the objective remains the same: identify vulnerabilities early and patch consistently.
Vulnerability Scanners in Action | Example: Action1 RMM
Once the agent is installed on Active Directory–joined devices, the RMM tool begins scanning and reporting on each system within minutes.
By checking the Vulnerabilities Dashboard, we can view a consolidated list of all known vulnerabilities detected across our monitored workstations. The dashboard provides key details such as severity, affected software, and remediation recommendations — helping administrators quickly assess risk and prioritize patching efforts.
The scan results cover both Windows updates and third-party applications, providing a comprehensive view of the organization’s patch status. It’s common for certain software products to have multiple associated vulnerabilities, each with its own severity rating and remediation path. This ensures administrators can prioritize the most critical updates first, reducing overall exposure across all managed devices.
📋 Compliance Alignment with the Essential Eight
The vulnerability scanning capabilities built into Action1 RMM address the core Essential Eight requirements for both Patch Applications and Patch Operating Systems. The platform maintains an up-to-date vulnerability database and performs automated scans across all managed devices — covering Windows and third-party software alike.
These scans can be scheduled to meet or exceed ACSC’s recommended frequencies, ensuring compliance with the following expectations:
Patch Applications
- A current vulnerability database is used for all scanning activities.
- Daily scans identify missing patches in online services.
- Weekly scans detect vulnerabilities in office productivity suites, browsers and extensions, email clients, PDF software, and security tools.
- Fortnightly scans assess other applications to ensure full coverage across the environment.
Patch Operating Systems
- A current vulnerability database underpins all OS-level scans.
- Daily scans identify missing patches in internet-facing servers and network devices.
- Fortnightly scans cover workstations and non-internet-facing systems, including internal servers and network appliances.
All scan results, patch status reports, and remediation logs can be exported or archived as evidence for Essential Eight audits, demonstrating that regular, structured patching and vulnerability management are in place across the organization.
🧾 Preparing Reports for Auditors
When undergoing an Essential Eight audit, clear and verifiable reporting is key to demonstrating compliance. Action1 RMM simplifies this process by allowing administrators to generate and export detailed vulnerability and patch reports. These reports can be filtered by device group, software category, severity, or date range — providing auditors with direct evidence of ongoing vulnerability management.
- For best results, include the following in your audit documentation:
- Vulnerability Scan Reports: Showing scan dates, detected issues, and remediation actions taken.
- Patch Deployment Logs: Confirming successful installation of critical and security updates.
- Summary Dashboards: Highlighting overall compliance status and any pending patches.
Historical Records: Maintaining at least 3–6 months of patch and scan data to demonstrate consistent adherence to scanning schedules.
By maintaining these records, your organization can clearly prove alignment with the ACSC Essential Eight Patch Applications and Patch Operating Systems controls and provide auditors with tangible, time-stamped proof of compliance activities.
🧩 Summary
Effective patch management starts with visibility — and that begins with vulnerability scanning. By integrating regular scans into your patching workflow, you not only detect missing updates but also build the foundation for Essential Eight compliance.
Using tools like Action1 RMM, organizations can automatically identify vulnerabilities across both Windows and third-party applications, prioritize remediation, and generate the detailed reports needed for audit verification.
When combined with consistent patch deployment and clear documentation, vulnerability scanning ensures your systems remain protected, compliant, and aligned with the ACSC Essential Eight Patch Applications and Patch Operating Systems requirements — from Maturity Level 1 through Level 3.