By admin 
Enterprise patch management requires a balance of preparedness, speed, and agility. Without the right processes and tools, patching can quickly fall behind schedule. Failure to stay on top of patches can result in unnecessary security breaches or inoperable systems, applications, and services.
These days, there are more hosts to monitor than ever before, from applications and servers to infrastructure and IoT devices . Data breaches can result in the theft or loss of sensitive information. Additionally, if these systems remain exposed, the risk of service disruption increases dramatically and the business may not be able to properly serve its customers.
It’s no longer enough to rely on network and perimeter security, such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems ( IPS ), and other cybersecurity tools. Zero-day exploits are emerging regularly, and the ability of perimeter-based tools to protect against newly identified security vulnerabilities is diminishing by the day. It’s better to address these types of vulnerabilities directly through software and firmware patches.
While patch management isn’t known for being the most fun or interesting responsibility IT administrators have, if done right, the results can be invaluable.
Here are 5 tips to help your patch management process run smoothly and with minimal surprises.
Always know what you are responsible for when it comes to patches
Identify targets and their locations. The endpoints, servers, infrastructure components, applications, and services that your IT department is tasked with patching are constantly evolving. They can reside on-premises or in the cloud. Those responsible for creating an enterprise-wide patching strategy must always be aware of the changes. While it is possible to manually track IT assets, most organizations find it best to use various device, network, and application monitoring tools to ensure continuous tracking and inventory. Patch management inventory and analysis tools can also detect and track devices that are missing critical updates, helping to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Involve the supplier
In many cases, questions about a new feature or security patch may not be readily available in the vendor’s published documentation. If questions arise, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and contact the vendor before making a change in production. While this may add time to applying a patch, it’s probably better than applying patches and having them cause unnecessary damage to your operations or not achieve the desired results.
Classify systems into groups based on their criticality
Not all applications, systems, and platforms are created equal when it comes to patch management. Critical network and server infrastructure, for example, can cause much more damage if a vulnerability is exploited than non-critical applications and services. That’s why organizations should carefully assess and categorize systems based on their criticality and patch the most critical systems first.
Create standard and emergency repair procedures
An organization’s patching strategy should consist of two procedures: the standard procedure and the emergency procedure. Standard patching procedures describe in detail what happens during normal and regular patching. They include specific calendar dates and maintenance windows, during which various components of the infrastructure receive patch updates. The standard schedule is useful because it creates a timeline that administrators can rely on to ensure they don’t fall behind in patching. In addition, a schedule informs service managers and users well in advance of when a maintenance window that affects work will occur.
Emergency patching procedures are used when a patch, typically a security patch, must be installed outside of the standard patching window. They are typically identified by vulnerability or compliance assessment tools. Emergency patching windows should be used sparingly, and careful consideration should be given to the thresholds that must be met for a window to be approved. Emergency processes should also include steps and communication channels to properly notify affected departments, users, and customers.
Understand each vendor’s patch release schedule
The number and types of operating systems, applications, and firmware vary from organization to organization. So do vendor patch announcements and release schedules. For example, Microsoft uses a monthly patch release schedule—known as Patch Tuesday —to release its software changes. IT administrators should understand when regular patches are released, as well as each vendor’s emergency patch notification process.