When it comes to patch management, there are best practices to follow to make the process effective and efficient. Without it, knowing what to patch and when can become a nightmare. Here, CloudTech24 provide five patch management tips to help you implement best practice when it comes to patch management.
Set up a regular patch management schedule with a defined scope of assets
Patch management should by default happen frequently to ensure that holes in company applications and machines are closed and security risk is mitigated. Setting up a regular patching schedule helps create continuity and habit to ensure that patches aren’t missed` or implemented when they need to be.
Alongside having a regular patch management schedule, knowing what to patch is vital. When implementing the schedule, clearly defining what assets are to be included when patch management is performed is important, so that key assets are not left out.
Use a dedicated patch management tool
Patches are numerous, and the number of patches needing to be applied multiplies with every machine. Using a dedicated patch management tool helps perform this task efficiently by rolling out patches at once, allowing the team or individual responsible to focus on other tasks.
Patch management tools provide insight into systems and their current level of patching. The majority are able to identify what machines need to be updated, what specifically requires updating (for example, firmware or software), and, if configured, these patches can be rolled out automatically. This saves time, but crucially, hardens system security by ensuring that known vulnerabilities are remediated as efficiently as possible.
Test patches prior to deployment
Rolling out company-wide patches without testing presents the risk of encountering issues that affect all, rather than some machines. If these issues are game-breaking, you run the risk of halting business operations completely.
By testing patches prior to deployment, any issues can be discovered and addressed, meaning that risk to any wider fallout from the initial patch is mitigated. The best way to test is to utilise a test machine that shares features to client machines. For example, testing a Windows-related patch on a Windows machine, and testing a Mac-related patch on a Mac.
Prioritise security patches
Prioritising patches by what they fix is good practice. For example, if a patch addresses a security issue, such as a known vulnerability in a platform, it should take precedence over other patches.
Ensure that operating system and third-party software is in scope
Before you begin patching, time is wasted if you start patching systems that do not fall within your remit. It is easy to assume that operating system patches would be in-scope, particularly as they are the foundation of computer use by staff. However, this is not always the case.
Different businesses use different systems for a variety of reasons (for example Linux and end-of-life Windows operating systems). Machines running such operating systems will have no updates available and, therefore, you should take appropriate security steps to mitigate risk. Others, such as open-source Linux operating systems, may not be manageable within the tool you are using.
Is this all I need to consider to be successful when it comes to patch management?
No. The list above gives you insight in to best practice and will provide a solid foundation for a patch management process. However, there are other things to consider, such user education (teaching users the importance of rebooting, for example), policy alignment to ensure that staff understand what should be patched, when, and how, and risk assessment, which can impact update schedules. For example, a web server that houses a website with a high volume of visitors throughout the day should be scheduled for patching overnight, when the disruption will be kept to a minimum.
Book a time to talk with our Sales Team to find out how CloudTech24 can support you with patch management, helping to save your business time whilst boosting your security posture.
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