The cybersecurity industry has spent much of the last two years debating how attackers might use AI. That debate matters, but it misses a larger point: defenders now have an opportunity to change the economics of cyber risk. For me, the question is not whether AI will influence cybersecurity. It alr…
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 in Qualys for Daily Users
• **Faster patch deployment via P2P distribution** – Qualys now supports peer-to-peer patching, letting you distribute patches across your infrastructure without waiting for sequential downloads from central servers. This closes the window between vulnerability discovery and remediation before attackers can exploit gaps.
• **Extended visibility into containerized environments** – End-of-life/end-of-support (EOL/EOS) tracking now extends to containers, Kubernetes, and modern workloads—not just traditional VMs. If you're managing Kubernetes clusters, you'll get better inventory accuracy and compliance reporting.
• **New ROC (Remediation Operations Center) product for detection-to-fix speed** – Qualys has built a dedicated product focused on accelerating the entire remediation workflow, moving away from manual remediation processes toward automated, detection-driven patching workflows.
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…
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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…
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