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University of Phoenix *
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140
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Information Systems
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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2
Uploaded by EarlFlowerAlligator27
Patch management is the process of procuring and installing software updates for operating systems and
applications to eliminate known security vulnerabilities, repair issues, or add new functionality.
A good patch management process seeks to
Reduce interruptions and rollbacks.
Create predictability and routine around patching.
Empower IT with emergency powers (rollback and distribution) when needed.
Ensure complete visibility into patch status.
Organizations generally try to maintain software consistency across the different devices connected to
the network and resort to centralized patch management rather than letting each computer download
its updates.
Centralized patch management is a software solution that checks missing patches, downloads, and
distributes them to the related equipment according to the patch management process defined by the
company.
Establish device group by OS and critical status.
Applications and devices should be categorized according to their risk factor.
Servers or computers with confidential data should be considered a high priority and thus should
receive patches first.
Inventory all the software in use.
A complete inventory is the first step to assessing what patches have been installed and which might be
missing.
Knowing the current state of patching will help outline the strategy to be developed.
The inventory can be done manually or automatically through asset management software.
Delineate your patch management policy.
It will decide how and when to distribute security patches.
Patch management rules will outline the procedures to be followed based on the device's criticality,
mitigation capabilities, and the risk caused by the type of security vulnerability detected in each
situation.
This is part of the vulnerability management that a company should practice.
Monitor patch updates.
When patches have been deployed, the IT staff should monitor if they have been installed appropriately
and that everything is working well.
Patch management systems are excellent for automating and streamlining this procedure.
Test patches before implementation.
Because there is a chance that a patch can cause problems in the system, best practices involve patch
testing before installing them.
As a result, patches are implemented in a test environment before being deployed.
Create a production backup.
Following the completion of the testing in the lab environment, best practice suggests that a thorough
backup of all data and configurations set up within the environment, including alterations made to the
existing program, be created.
Download and deploy patches.
Once all the previous steps have been completed, it is time to download and deploy patches in a timely
manner.
A patch manager will help ease this process.
Document and categorize new patch releases.
Once all new patches have been downloaded, note, and categorize which patches were used so that this
information can be used in the future.
Security policies and procedures should include this information.
It is critical to document the state of the systems before and after applying updates.
This will make dealing with any future situations much easier.
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