Cybersecurity experts and IT leaders have recently focused on advanced technologies and controls, forgetting the importance of basic cybersecurity practices such as patch management. Asset inventory is a requirement not only for patch management but for any cybersecurity program. A standard patch management policy is necessary to link senior management to the process. It should outline roles, responsibilities, communication etiquette, and timelines involving the entire team responsible for the activity. The creation of a patch management team from different areas of technology and business will also improve coordination and communication. The deployment of patches is complex, resource-consuming, and feared due to the risk of system crashes and data losses. To reduce this fear, patch testing, automation of patch deployment, and a rollback plan should be set in place. In conclusion, while the implementation of new technologies is necessary to stay up to date, it is equally important to not overlook basic cybersecurity practices, such as patch management.
Eradicating the Patch Management Apprehension – Digital First Magazine
Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly crucial in today’s digital world, with rapid technological advancements leading to a corresponding need for dynamic changes in security practices. Despite the development of AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, many organizations overlook essential and straightforward cybersecurity practices, such as patch management.
Patch management has been a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity since the early 2000s, providing defense against known vulnerabilities. The process involves identifying, testing, and deploying security updates to hardware or software systems to safeguard against known exploits or vulnerabilities. Yet, the basics of patch management are often neglected, leading to security breaches, such as the infamous Equifax breach, where hundreds of millions of customer records were exfiltrated due to a failure to patch a basic vulnerability.
According to statistics, more than 90% of all cyber-attacks target unpatched vulnerabilities, and more than 80% of successful cyber-attacks use known vulnerabilities that have a patch available. Failing to patch systems is equivalent to leaving your house key with an unknown person, providing them with easy access whenever they desire.
Despite its importance, patch management can be a challenging process, with over 70% of IT professionals finding patching to be complex and time-consuming. The complexity of fast-tracking remediation actions is particularly challenging, given the increasing number of patches released each month by different software and hardware vendors.
Abhilash Radhadevi is a Cyber Security Leader with over twenty years of experience in the Banking, Energy, and Technology services industries. He is skilled in developing and implementing comprehensive security strategies and frameworks that align with business objectives and compliance requirements, covering security projects and operations, assurance, and governance, risk, and compliance. Abhilash has a proven track record of effectively managing and mitigating cyber threats for multinational organizations, earning him the title of Cyber Strategist of the Year 2023 by CXO Middle East Magazine.
The Importance of Coordination and Communication in Patch Management
Cybersecurity managers are often preoccupied with the latest technology trends and controls, leading to the neglect of the patch management process. However, ensuring proper patch deployment is essential to prevent security breaches that can compromise an organization’s assets and data. One of the biggest challenges in patch management is coordination and communication.
Patch deployment requires the involvement of multiple teams, including security, application, infrastructure, and business teams. The different teams may have different priorities that can lead to delays in patch deployment, disrupting the business adversely. Additionally, complex organizational structures, lack of collaboration culture, and differing priorities can cause the patch deployment process to fail.
Solution:
To address these challenges, proper coordination and communication are crucial. The following are some ways to ensure effective coordination and communication during patch deployment:
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Establish a Patch Management Team: Organizations should establish a cross-functional team responsible for managing the patch deployment process. The team should consist of members from different departments, including security, application, infrastructure, and business teams.
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Develop a Patch Deployment Plan: The team should develop a patch deployment plan that outlines the patch deployment process, including timelines, roles and responsibilities, and communication protocols.
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Prioritize Patches: Different patches may have varying levels of criticality, and it’s important to prioritize them accordingly. The team should determine which patches need immediate attention and which can wait.
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Communicate Effectively: The team should establish clear communication channels to ensure effective communication throughout the patch deployment process. Regular updates should be provided to all stakeholders to keep them informed of the progress.
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Test Patches: Before deploying patches, it’s important to test them in a controlled environment to ensure they don’t cause any issues. The team should have a testing plan in place to ensure patches are thoroughly tested before deployment.
Effective coordination and communication during patch deployment can help minimize business disruption and prevent security breaches. With a cross-functional patch management team and a well-defined patch deployment plan, organizations can ensure timely and effective patch deployment, reducing the risk of security incidents.
The Importance of Patch Management Policy and Team: Strategies to Ensure Effective Patch Deployment
Patch management is an essential process that provides defense against known vulnerabilities. However, the complexity, resource constraints, and fear of disruption can make it a painful task for IT teams and leaders. To ensure vulnerability-related exposures are minimized according to the risk tolerance level of your organization, it’s essential to focus on building a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes the latest trends, such as AI, while not forgetting the essentials such as patch management.
1. Patch Management Policy
A standard patch management policy should outline roles, responsibilities, communication etiquette, and timelines involving the entire team responsible for the activity. The policy should link senior management to the process, making the business responsible for ensuring that all digital assets are updated regularly in line with the policy. This approach shifts the responsibility of patch management from IT Security to the business, ensuring that all digital assets are updated regularly.
2. Patch Management Team
Creating a patch management team from different areas of technology and business, as outlined in the policy, can help ensure effective coordination and communication during patch deployment. The team should consist of members from different departments, including security, application, infrastructure, and business teams. The communication channels and escalation procedures can then be utilized to full use, and the leadership should embolden the collaboration of this team by using dashboards, status reports, training, etc.
3. System Stability Issues and Downtime
One of the biggest challenges in patch deployment is the risk of compatibility issues, performance degradation, or downtime during and after the patch deployment process. Testing the patches in controlled environments that mirror their production environment is one of the best possible ways to address this issue. High-severity patches could be tested and deployed as soon as possible while critical patches should follow the set schedule. The use of automated patch deployment tools will be most appropriate to reduce the amount of time taken, the number of resources required, and to ensure consistency across all systems.
The patch management process should also ensure that there is a solid rollback plan in place to ensure that the systems are reverted to the previous state if needed. Keeping a full system backup or an image snapshot ready is the best way to tackle this challenge.
In conclusion, organizations should focus on building a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes the latest technology trends while not forgetting the essentials such as patch management. Establishing a patch management policy, creating a patch management team, testing patches in controlled environments, and having a rollback plan in place can help ensure effective coordination and communication during patch deployment and minimize business disruption. With these strategies in place, organizations can ensure timely and effective patch deployment, reducing the risk of security incidents.
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