Patch Management

(OBJ .)

Patch Management

• Planning, testing, implementing, and auditing of software patches
• Important for compliance

Four Step Process

• Planning
  • Creating policies, procedures, and systems to track and verify patch compatibility
  • A good patch management tool confirms patch deployment, installation, and functional verification on servers or clients
• Testing
  • Do this to prevent the patch from causing additional problems
• Implementing
  • Deploy to all devices that need it
  • Can be done manually or automated
  • Large organizations should use a central update server instead of Windows Update or other tool
  • Mobile devices can be patched using an MDM
  • Patch Rings
    • Implement patches one group (or ring) at a time
• Auditing
  • Scan network to ensure the patch was installed correctly
  • Determine if there are any unexpected problems as a result of the patch

Firmware versions should also be monitored and patched

• Companies will have centralized resources to help keep firmware patched