5 Ways to Create the Right #Patch_Management Policy:-
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While
patch management is, conceptually, a straightforward task, its correct
implementation is not always that simple. One might be tempted to simply
deploy patches on a need to basis without
giving it much thought; however, in order for patch management to be
fully effective, the right patch management policy is required, as
without it patch management could become the threat you’re actually
trying to prevent.5 Ways to Create the Right Patch Management Policy.
So what makes the right patch management policy?
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1. #Inventory
Without knowing which software or systems need patching, no proper
patch management process can exist. While this might seem obvious, it’s a
step often overlooked in a company’s patch management policy. An
inventory is also required when testing environments are created – an
essential item in any patch management policy. Inventories can be done
manually, however it’s wise to either have scripts that automate the
process to a degree, or use a network scanner to do the job. #GeekSchool #GeekSch00l
2. #Monitoring
Every patch management policy needs a process that can identify which
patches are missing or outdated, and this can be achieved by either
monitoring vendor sites or using patch management detection software.
3. Testing
Once an administrator determines and downloads the patches needed on
the network, it is essential that they are tested before they are
deployed to make sure that that they are working well across all
systems. Test environments that perfectly mimic the actual environments
that the patches will be deployed on are needed. A #blueprint
for such environments ought to be prepared during the inventory step.
As time goes by it’s important to keep the test environments in line
with the actual environments. This can be done by comparing inventories
or through the use of software which can notify the administrator when
environments change.
4. Deployment and Verification
This is
another pitfall. For many, their patch management process does not
include verification but just deployment; however, the right patch
management policy requires both. If the deployment fails for any reason,
especially if the whole process of deployment is unattended, it can
easily happen that the failure goes unnoticed thus giving the
administrator a false sense of security. To avoid this, ensure that
there is a way to determine the patch level of each machine and confirm
that all the #patches deployed were successful.
5. #Disaster #Recovery
No matter how many precautions are taken and how many tests are run,
there is no guarantee that a patch deployment will not cause issues.
Computer software is complex and it is impossible to test all possible
combinations, especially when you factor #hardware
and chipsets in. Therefore, it is essential that a patch management
policy includes a section on disaster recovery, so, should things go
wrong, an administrator will be able to quickly recover the #network to a working state.
Without the right patch management policy in place, patch management can indirectly be a #security_risk
since the patch deployment itself can cause issues and possibly
downtime. Once designed, the patch management policy will require a
little extra effort; however, this is a much more favorable option than
the effort spent trying to #fix a broken environment, not to mention the loss of #productivity.
Source : https :// www. livehacking .com/2012/01/06/5-ways-to-create-the-right-patch-management-policy/
1. #Inventory
Without knowing which software or systems need patching, no proper patch management process can exist. While this might seem obvious, it’s a step often overlooked in a company’s patch management policy. An inventory is also required when testing environments are created – an essential item in any patch management policy. Inventories can be done manually, however it’s wise to either have scripts that automate the process to a degree, or use a network scanner to do the job. #GeekSchool #GeekSch00l
2. #Monitoring
Every patch management policy needs a process that can identify which patches are missing or outdated, and this can be achieved by either monitoring vendor sites or using patch management detection software.
3. Testing
Once an administrator determines and downloads the patches needed on the network, it is essential that they are tested before they are deployed to make sure that that they are working well across all systems. Test environments that perfectly mimic the actual environments that the patches will be deployed on are needed. A #blueprint for such environments ought to be prepared during the inventory step. As time goes by it’s important to keep the test environments in line with the actual environments. This can be done by comparing inventories or through the use of software which can notify the administrator when environments change.
4. Deployment and Verification
This is another pitfall. For many, their patch management process does not include verification but just deployment; however, the right patch management policy requires both. If the deployment fails for any reason, especially if the whole process of deployment is unattended, it can easily happen that the failure goes unnoticed thus giving the administrator a false sense of security. To avoid this, ensure that there is a way to determine the patch level of each machine and confirm that all the #patches deployed were successful.
5. #Disaster #Recovery
No matter how many precautions are taken and how many tests are run, there is no guarantee that a patch deployment will not cause issues. Computer software is complex and it is impossible to test all possible combinations, especially when you factor #hardware and chipsets in. Therefore, it is essential that a patch management policy includes a section on disaster recovery, so, should things go wrong, an administrator will be able to quickly recover the #network to a working state.
Without the right patch management policy in place, patch management can indirectly be a #security_risk since the patch deployment itself can cause issues and possibly downtime. Once designed, the patch management policy will require a little extra effort; however, this is a much more favorable option than the effort spent trying to #fix a broken environment, not to mention the loss of #productivity.
Source : https :// www. livehacking .com/2012/01/06/
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