A vulnerability triage FAQ should answer five things in plain words: is this finding real for us, how fast must we act, who decides, how do we fix it, and how do we record an exception. Answer in the first line, link the standard behind each answer, and keep every entry short.
Why this page earns its place
Scanner output raises the same questions in every team. If each answer has to be rediscovered in chat, time is lost and decisions vary from one team to the next. One agreed page keeps the answers consistent.
Starter questions and short answers
Adapt the wording to your own standards. These are templates, not rules.
| Question | Short answer to write |
|---|---|
| Is this finding real for us? | Check whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable and exposed in our deployment. Link the exploitability check. |
| How fast do we need to fix it? | State your own targets by severity and by exposure, and link the standard. |
| Does a high score mean we must act now? | Severity is one input. Reachability, exposure and known exploitation also count. |
| Who decides to accept a risk? | Name the role, and link the exception form. |
| What if no fixed version exists? | List options: mitigate, replace, isolate, monitor. Link the decision guide. |
| Can I dismiss a false positive? | Yes, with a recorded reason and reviewer. Link the process. |
| How do I show a vulnerability does not affect us? | Record the evidence, such as unreachable code, and the date. |
Explain the signals in one place
Engineers meet CVSS, EPSS and the CISA known exploited list. Spell out in two lines what each tells you and what it does not. The existing CVSS, EPSS and KEV explainer can be linked rather than repeated.
Include the exceptions path
An FAQ that says just "fix everything" invites quiet workarounds. Show the real path: who to ask, what to write, how long an exception lasts, and when it is reviewed. Vulnerability risk acceptance quick answers shows a short format.
Keep it honest and current
- Put the owner and the date on the page.
- Update when targets change, and note the change.
- Add an entry when the same triage question is asked twice.
- Review quarterly with a few engineers from different teams.
For the writing approach, see how to write a security FAQ engineers use.
Try it yourself
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen. Look at which facts decide whether a finding matters, since those are the facts your FAQ should tell engineers to check.
Where Safeguard fits
Safeguard's reachability analysis and vulnerability management help answer "is this real for us" with evidence, and the free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan shows what that looks like on your own dependencies.
Quick check
Should the FAQ list fix deadlines?
Link to your standard rather than copy numbers, so there is one source of truth. If you quote them, date the page.
Who owns the triage FAQ?
Usually the application security or platform team, with input from engineering leads.
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
