The Ultimate Guide to Managing Security Vulnerabilities with RACI Matrices

Security vulnerabilities remain a top concern for organizations worldwide. 75% of security breaches occur due to unpatched vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weak security practices, according to recent industry reports. Yet, many organizations struggle with assigning clear ownership when vulnerabilities are discovered. Who is responsible for fixing them? Who ensures compliance? Who deploys security patches?

Introduction

Security vulnerabilities remain a top concern for organizations worldwide. 75% of security breaches occur due to unpatched vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weak security practices, according to recent industry reports. Yet, many organizations struggle with assigning clear ownership when vulnerabilities are discovered. Who is responsible for fixing them? Who ensures compliance? Who deploys security patches?

To streamline vulnerability remediation and improve accountability, security leaders should adopt RACI matrices (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to define who does what at each stage of vulnerability management.

This guide provides:
✅ An overview of the 5 most common security vulnerabilities.
✅ Real-world breach examples demonstrating their impact.
✅ Sample RACI matrices that can be used as templates for security teams.

If you're a CISO, security architect, or DevSecOps leader, this guide will help you assign clear roles, reduce remediation time, and prevent security incidents before they escalate.

1. SQL Injection (SQLi)

What is SQL Injection?

SQL Injection (SQLi) is one of the most critical web application vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to execute malicious SQL queries against a database. This can lead to data theft, unauthorized access, or even full system compromise.

Real-World Example: Equifax Data Breach (2017)

In 2017, Equifax suffered a data breach that exposed 147 million customer records. The breach was caused by an unpatched SQL injection vulnerability in their web application. Despite a fix being available, the patch was never applied in time, leading to one of the largest breaches in history.

SQL Injection RACI Matrix

Task	Development (Dev)	Quality Assurance (QA)	Security (Sec)	Operations (Ops)	Compliance (Comp)	Project Manager (PM)
Identify SQL injection vulnerability	R	C	A	I	I	I
Analyze impact & risk assessment	C	I	R	I	C	I
Develop and implement secure fixes	R	C	A	C	I	I
Test for effectiveness	C	R	C	I	I	I
Deploy security patches	I	I	C	R	I	A
Verify compliance & documentation	I	I	C	I	R	I

2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

What is XSS?

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) occurs when malicious scripts are injected into web pages, leading to account takeovers, credential theft, and unauthorized transactions.

Real-World Example: British Airways Data Breach (2018)

Hackers injected malicious JavaScript into the British Airways website, capturing credit card details of 400,000 customers. The attack went undetected for months, showing the importance of early security testing in the development process.

XSS RACI Matrix

Task	Dev	QA	Sec	Ops	Comp	PM
Detect XSS vulnerability	R	C	A	I	I	I
Assess exploit scenarios	C	I	R	I	C	I
Develop secure input validation	R	C	A	C	I	I
Implement security patches	R	C	C	I	I	I
Conduct security testing	C	R	C	I	I	I
Deploy updated application	I	I	C	R	I	A
Ensure compliance & training	I	I	C	I	R	I

3. Insecure Cryptographic Storage

What is Insecure Cryptographic Storage?

Applications that store sensitive data without encryption or use weak cryptographic algorithms are vulnerable to attacks. This can expose passwords, financial data, and confidential customer information.

Real-World Example: Facebook Password Storage Leak (2019)

In 2019, Facebook admitted to storing millions of user passwords in plaintext, making them accessible to thousands of employees. The company faced regulatory scrutiny and potential GDPR violations for failing to secure user credentials properly.

Insecure Cryptographic Storage RACI Matrix

Task	Dev	QA	Sec	Ops	Comp	PM
Identify weak cryptographic practices	R	C	A	I	I	I
Assess impact & compliance risks	C	I	R	I	C	I
Implement secure encryption	R	C	A	C	I	I
Upgrade key management practices	R	C	C	I	I	I
Test encryption implementation	C	R	C	I	I	I
Deploy new cryptographic storage	I	I	C	R	I	A

4. Security Misconfigurations

What is a Security Misconfiguration?

Security misconfigurations occur when default settings, excessive permissions, or exposed APIs create attack entry points.

Real-World Example: Capital One Cloud Misconfiguration Breach (2019)

A misconfigured AWS S3 bucket allowed a hacker to access personal information of over 100 million Capital One customers, leading to regulatory fines and reputational damage.

Security Misconfiguration RACI Matrix

Task	Dev	QA	Sec	Ops	Comp	PM
Identify misconfigurations	R	C	A	I	I	I
Conduct security assessments	C	I	R	I	C	I
Implement configuration fixes	R	C	A	C	I	I
Review & audit cloud settings	R	C	C	I	I	I
Deploy hardened security configurations	I	I	C	R	I	A

5. Unpatched Software Vulnerabilities

What are Unpatched Vulnerabilities?

Failure to apply software updates and security patches exposes organizations to known exploits.

Real-World Example: WannaCry Ransomware (2017)

WannaCry exploited a Windows vulnerability that Microsoft had already patched, affecting 230,000 computers worldwide. Many organizations failed to install the security update, leading to massive operational disruptions.

Unpatched Software RACI Matrix

Task	Dev	QA	Sec	Ops	Comp	PM
Monitor for software patches	C	I	R	A	I	I
Deploy patches in test environments	R	C	A	C	I	I
Approve & schedule production patching	I	I	C	R	I	A

Final Thoughts

Using RACI matrices for security vulnerability management improves efficiency, accountability, and compliance. Organizations that adopt structured security governance reduce their exposure to breaches and regulatory fines.

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Published

Saturday, March 8, 2025