What is Patch Management?

The patch management process refers to the vital process of locating, obtaining, testing, and installing updates on computers in a network. Threat & Vulnerability Management helps rectify errors and existing security gaps in your operating system and applications. System admins or operation managers must keep up with newly released updates when offering their services and conducting these operations.

If updates are available, they need to check the requirements for their software and hardware, check the fixes, verify their installation, and then document their results. This procedure helps you to run your device using the latest software version and access updated functions. That is why the patch management process is an essential part of IT asset management. Keep reading this article to familiarize yourself with the 8-step patch management process.

What is the 8-steps patch management process?

Although the patch management process entails acquiring new software update products for your application and operating system, the activity is quite complex. Here is the 8-step patch management process.

1. Create a baseline inventory

Creating a baseline inventory is the initial step when you want to create an up-to-date baseline inventory of all your production systems. It is imperative to note that your inventory should include all the operating systems and applications your firm uses. In addition, when you create an inventory and you are ready for deployment, that is just the beginning.

You will notice software engineers release their new update features in time to correct bugs and known vulnerabilities in their vendor platform. Besides, hardware engineers are not left behind. They will release firmware updates in time to address their users’ issues at the hardware level and offer relevant solutions. You need to include firmware in your inventory for compliance.

2. Collect all software patch and vulnerability data

It would be helpful if you looked out for updates available for your operating system and application. However, for operating systems such as Linux, Windows, and Unix, applications like Office find new updates automatically. But for third-party applications, you will need to review the vendor’s website before you purchase their new updates.

This action will help an administrator determine which updates address the security component. In order to provide this service, you must have robust vulnerability assessment capabilities. Since they do not work on operational technology, conventional IT tools that use a scan-based approach should be avoided.

3. Single out vulnerability relevancy

At this stage, you are required to collect the list of all updates available for your software. However, do not forget to link it to the assets to ascertain whether your patch is relevant. One of the challenges you will encounter is determining which inventory asset applies to each update.

4. Document your security control

You need to understand what controls are relevant in helping you identify whether patches are required or are of priority. This action would include apps like antivirus or firewalls. Also, don’t forget to check out your internet-facing devices to see if they are compatible with this patch.

5. Conduct a review, approve and mitigate update management

At this stage, before you deploy any update to your organization’s production line, ensure your patch is thoroughly tested on its endpoints. This action will ensure that updates are safe or compatible with your production. The fact that reliable software engineers are testing the updates and are concerned about security vulnerabilities should be noted.

But it is your responsibility to ensure patches are thoroughly tested before you use, approve or mitigate patch management. There have been several cases where software companies released mediocre patches that introduced numerous problems into an environment that was working fine.

6. Assess the risk

Risk is measured as a component of threat and vulnerability. This procedure has an impact on the environment. However, if no risk is determined for an update, applying that particular patch is not necessary.

7. Profile and document a system

This tedious activity involves performing a regulatory audit of patch management. Pre and post-application baselines are required for this task. In case of any baseline changes, you must capture and enter into the business interchange management workflows to safeguard a new configuration.

8. Measure your performance

At this stage, begin by implementing patch management metrics. If you cannot see how you are performing against targets, expect little incentive to improve. It is good to know that patch coverage is a vital metric.

Patch management

Patch management is a never-ending cycle and is a critical component of firm security. Select either a cloud-based or a system-based patch management solution. Both are reliable tools capable of doing their job well.

However, you should not be worried about patch management. There are software companies that support and offer solutions to business patch management processes.

These companies consider patching a core competency and are always ready to resolve emerging challenges with their diverse versions of software programs. With the assistance of such patch management systems, automation of your business becomes easy.