Data structure for vulnerability-based remediation selection

1. A machine-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions executable by a processor of a machine, the machine-readable instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor to implement variations of one remediation that is appropriate to a vulnerability which is present on an asset to be remediated, the machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to implement the variations of the one remediation by:

arranging one or more machine-actionable records according to a data structure and representing variations of the one remediation differentiated by technology species, the data structure including links that respectively map between:

the one remediation, as represented in the data structure, and a plurality of T_ID fields, wherein the content of a T_ID field denotes an identification (ID) of a technology species (T),

for each of the T_ID fields, a plurality of ACT_ID fields, wherein the content of an ACT_ID field denotes an ID of an action (ACT),

wherein implementation of the one remediation upon the asset mitigates against the vulnerability present on the asset as a function of a T_ID of the asset to be remediated and at least one action respectively mapped to the one remediation selected as a function of the T_ID of the asset.

2. The storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the links of the data structure includes a R_ID field, the contents of which denote an identification (ID) of the one remediation (R_ID).

3. The storage medium of claim 1 , wherein:

execution of the action denoted by the contents of at least one ACT_ID field upon the asset at least in part implements the remediation.

4. The storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:

at least one AS_ID field, the contents of which denotes an ID of an asset (AS_ID) to which the remediation is to be applied.

5. The storage medium of claim 4 , wherein:

execution of the action denoted by the contents of at least one ACT_ID field upon the asset denoted by the contents of the at least one AS_ID field at least in part implements the remediation.

6. The storage medium of claim 4 , wherein each machine-actionable record forms a data structure, the data structure for at least one of the one-or-more machine-actionable records including:

two or more V_ID fields, the contents of which denote two or more IDs of vulnerabilities (V_IDs), respectively;

the plurality of ACT_ID fields;

two or more SS links relating one or more among the plurality of ACT_ID fields as a subset (SS) thereof, respectively;

two or more AS_ID fields, the contents of which denote two or more AS_IDs; and

at least one of the following,

(A) at least two vulnerability subset (V-SS) links between the two or more V_ID fields, respectively, and two or more subsets of the ACT_ID fields,

(B) at least two remediation vulnerability (R-V) links between the R_ID field and the two or more V_ID fields, respectively,

(C) at least two remediation subset (R-SS) links between the R_ID field and the two or more subsets of the ACT_ID fields, respectively, and

(D) at least two remediation asset (R-AS) links between the R_ID field and the two or more AS_ID fields, respectively.

7. The storage medium of claim 2 , wherein each machine-actionable record forms a data structure, the data structure for at least one of the one-or-more machine-actionable records includes including:

two or more V_ID fields, the contents of which denote two or more V_IDs, respectively;

the plurality of ACT_ID fields, the contents of which denote a plurality of ACT_IDs, respectively;

at least two SS links relating one or more among the plurality of ACT_ID fields as a subset (SS) thereof, respectively; and

at least one of the following,

(A) at least two vulnerability subset (V-SS) links between the two or more V_ID fields, respectively, and two or more subsets of the ACT_ID fields,

(B) at least two remediation vulnerability (R-V) links between the R_ID field and the two or more V_ID fields, respectively, and

(C) at least two remediation subset (R-SS) links between the R_ID field and two or more subsets of the ACT_ID field, respectively.

8. A method of selecting a remediation that is appropriate to a vulnerability which is present on a machine to be remediated, the method comprising:

providing a machine-actionable memory that includes one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure and representing variations of remediations differentiated by technology species, the data structure including links within the one or more machine-actionable records that respectively map between:

one remediation and a plurality of T_ID fields, wherein the content of a T_ID field denotes an identification (ID) of a technology species (T),

for each of the T_ID fields, a plurality of ACT_ID fields, wherein the content of an ACT_ID field denotes an ID of an action (ACT), wherein implementation of the one remediation upon an asset mitigates against a vulnerability,

indexing into the memory to select at least one machine-actionable record using a given vulnerability identifier (V_ID) and a remediation mapped to the given vulnerability identifier of the at least one selected machine-actionable record to determine (A) at least one of a remediation mapped thereto and (B) at least one action mapped to the given vulnerability identifier, the at least one action selected as a function of a T_ID of the machine to be remediated;

wherein the indexing into the memory and selecting the at least one machine-actionable record are performed according to an instruction set executed by a processor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the links of the data structure of respective machine-actionable records include a R_ID field, the contents of which denote an identification (ID) of the one remediation (R_ID),

the indexing into the memory to select the at least one machine-actionable record indexes using the given V_ID value which denotes an ID of a vulnerability to determine (A) at least one of a R_ID value mapped thereto and (B) at least one ACT_ID value mapped to the given V_ID value.

10. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 1 .

11. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 2 .

12. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 3 .

13. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 4 .

14. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 5 .

15. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 6 .

16. A machine having a machine-readable storage medium as in claim 7 .

17. A machine-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions executable by a processor of a machine, the machine-readable instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor to select a remediation that is appropriate to a vulnerability which is present on an asset to be remediated, the machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to select the remediation by:

providing one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure and representing variations of remediations differentiated by technology species, the data structure including links within the one or more machine-actionable records that respectively map between:

one remediation and a plurality of T_ID fields, wherein the content of a T_ID field denotes an identification (ID) of a technology species (T),

for each of the T_ID fields, a plurality of ACT_ID fields, wherein the content of an ACT_ID field denotes an ID of an action (ACT), wherein implementation of the one remediation upon an asset mitigates against a vulnerability;

indexing into the memory to select at least one machine-actionable record using a given vulnerability identifier (V_ID) and a technology species mapped to the given vulnerability identifier to determine (A) at least one of a remediation of the at least one selected machine-actionable record mapped thereto and (B) at least one action of the at least one selected machine-actionable record mapped to the given vulnerability identifier, the at least one action selected as a function of a T_ID of the asset to be remediated.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:

the links of the data structure of respective machine-actionable records include a R_ID field, the contents of which denote an identification (ID) of the one remediation (R_ID);

the indexing indexes into the memory to select the at least one machine-actionable record using the given V_ID value and a technology species mapped to the given vulnerability identifier to determine (A) at least one of a R_ID value mapped thereto and (B) at least one ACT_ID value mapped to the given V_ID value.

19. A machine configured to implement the method of claim 8 .

20. A machine configured to implement the method of claim 9 .

21. An apparatus for selecting a remediation that is appropriate to a vulnerability which is present on a machine to be remediated, comprising:

a processor:

a machine-readable memory in communication with the processor, the machine-readable memory storing one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure and representing variations of remediations differentiated by technology species, the data structure including links within the one or more machine-actionable records that respectively map between:

one remediation and a plurality of T_ID fields, wherein the content of a T_ID field denotes an identification (ID) of a technology species (T), and

for each of the T_ID fields, a plurality of ACT_ID fields, wherein the content of an ACT_ID field denotes an ID of an action (ACT), wherein implementation of the one remediation upon an asset mitigates against a vulnerability, and

means for indexing into the memory to select at least one machine-actionable record using a given vulnerability identifier (V_ID) and a technology species mapped to the given vulnerability identifier to determine (A) at least one of a remediation of the at least one selected machine-actionable record mapped thereto and (B) at least one action of the at least one selected machine-actionable record mapped to the given vulnerability identifier, the at least one action selected as a function of the T_ID of the asset to be remediated.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein

the links of the data structure within the at least one machine-actionable records, respectively, map between

a R_ID field, the contents of which denote an identification (ID) of a remediation (R_ID),

at least one ACT_ID field, the contents of which denotes an ID of an action (ACT_ID), and

at least two V_ID fields, the contents of which denote IDs of vulnerabilities (V_IDs); and

the means for indexing includes means for indexing into the memory to select at least one machine-actionable record using the given V_ID value and a technology species mapped to the given vulnerability identifier to determine (A) at least one of a R_ID value mapped thereto and (B) at least one ACT_ID value mapped to the given V_ID value.