Every Patch Tuesday presents a race between defenders applying fixes and attackers seeking opportunities. Microsoft’s June 2026 release is no exception, delivering security updates for vulnerabilities that could significantly impact enterprise environments if left unaddressed. Microso…
Q
Qualys
Qualys · Vulnerability Management
Cloud-based vulnerability management and compliance
Overview
Qualys is a cloud-based security and compliance platform providing continuous vulnerability management, web application scanning, policy compliance, and asset inventory. Its agentless scanning approach and continuous monitoring make it popular for large, complex environments.
UK Pricing
Qualys VMDR from ~£15/asset/yr. Full platform enterprise pricing on request.
Target Size
200+ assets
Why Use It
Qualys is the enterprise choice for organisations that need continuous, cloud-based vulnerability management with strong compliance reporting. Its VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection, and Response) module closes the loop from detection to remediation.
Why Not
For SMBs under 200 seats, Nessus Professional or Defender Vulnerability Management is better value. Qualys becomes compelling when you need continuous monitoring rather than periodic scanning.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Continuous cloud-based scanning — no scanner appliance maintenance
- Asset inventory and categorisation built in
- Strong compliance reporting (PCI DSS, ISO 27001, GDPR)
- Web Application Scanning (WAS) built into platform
- Patch management module enables direct remediation from scan results
Cons
- Complex platform with a steep learning curve
- More expensive than Nessus for smaller environments
- Results dashboards can be overwhelming without dedicated VM analyst
- Agent deployment required for complete coverage
- UK data residency availability requires verification for compliance
How to Get the Most Out of It
- Enable the Qualys Cloud Agent for continuous endpoint coverage between network scans
- Use TruRisk scoring to prioritise remediation based on real-world exploitability, not raw CVSS
- Use the Patch Management module to deploy patches directly from Qualys after identifying vulnerabilities
- Configure dashboards for your CISO/board — Qualys has strong executive reporting templates
- Integrate with Jira or ServiceNow to create automated remediation tickets at severity thresholds
AI: What's New
Claude AI# What's New with Qualys - Key Takeaways for Daily Users
• **Peer-to-Peer (P2P) patch distribution is now available** – Instead of waiting for traditional patch deployment cycles, you can now distribute critical fixes faster across your environment using P2P methods. This directly addresses the gap between vulnerability discovery and remediation, meaning you can close exploitable windows before attackers move in.
• **EOL/EOS detection now covers containers and Kubernetes** – Your vulnerability scans can now identify end-of-life software running in containerized and Kubernetes environments, not just traditional infrastructure. This closes a blind spot many admins face with modern workload inventories.
• **Qualys is integrating AI-powered detection and automated remediation** – The new ROC (Remediation Operations Center) and "detection-speed remediation" features suggest faster identification of vulnerabilities with built-in automation for response, potentially reducing manual triage work in your daily workflow.
Latest News
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Executive Summary Knowing what’s exploitable is only half the battle. P2P patch distribution turns your endpoints into a delivery network, cutting patch propagation by up to 92%, reducing WAN bandwidth by 99%+, and helping close critical vulnerabilities before attackers can move. Available now in Qu…
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Key Takeaways Software inventory used to stop at the server. Modern application delivery erased that boundary. In cloud-native environments, software now moves continuously through container images, registries, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes clusters, often reaching production faster than tradition…
The Qualys Threat Research Unit (TRU) has discovered and published the full advisory for CVE-2026-46333, a logic flaw in the Linux kernel’s __ptrace_may_access() function that permits an unprivileged local user to disclose sensitive files and execute arbitrary commands as root on default insta…
The Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report has been published. Qualys is proud to have served as a research partner and contributor, contributing analysis of more than one billion anonymized vulnerability remediation records across four consecutive DBIR reporting cycles of CISA Known Exploit…