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September 21, 2017 In the wake of the recent Equifax data breach, as well as the WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks, patch management should be high on your radar. Applying software updates and patches is a critical security precaution, as we detailed in our recent blog post, “Why Patch Management Matters Now More Than Ever.” But how should your organization prioritize patching in a multilayered approach to data safety? Patch management involves appropriate planning, so you don’t introduce unintended problems. Here are five tips on how to apply and execute a patching program. 1. Apply patches regularly. Popular applications such as Java, Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft applications and the Windows operating system need regular updates. You can handle this via Windows Update Services from a Microsoft server, or via another third-party application. For UNIX/Linux systems, you can use Chef, Puppet or a third-party tool like Lumension. 2. Rate your patching. Look at the criticality of the patches to your business and operations. If you can’t patch an item, then you have to weigh the business risk of exploitation against the benefit of continuing to use the application. If there are patches available, consider the risk that the patch might break a process. Have a plan to revert if necessary. 3. Decommission older legacy systems. Even if there’s only one legacy application that needs an older OS, plan to replace or migrate the host system. A vulnerable server could expose hundreds or thousands of passwords and be used to access and steal files from mapped drives. 4. Review custom and specialty applications. If you use in-house created or customized applications from a vendor, find someone who can review the code for known vulnerabilities. 5. Harden the host operating systems. Review and follow online guidance available for server operating systems: Windows:https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526440.aspx Linux/UNIX:https://www.sans.org/score/checklists/linux MacOS:https://www.apple.com/support/security/guides/ Practical advice for organizations of all sizes Large organizations first test new patches before committing them to systems that run critical business processes. Smaller organizations don’t have the resources, so the best advice is to back up your systems to prevent a patch from doing something that knocks a critical system offline or triggers a data loss. That means backing up not just the data, but the applications, so you can quickly restore the ability to access the data. While a patch that corrupts something is uncommon, backing up the data is prudent (and a mandate, really) to protect against sudden hardware failures and all the other unforeseen events that jeopardize the continuity of the business. How ESET can help ESET offers a multi-platform patch management solution — Flexera Corporate Software Inspector — as part of our suite of security solutions for an adaptive security architecture. It gives you complete visibility over the patch status of your systems, provides guidance so your teams know what to patch and how, and covers more than 20,000 applications on Windows, MacOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Portions of this post were adapted from “Vulnerabilities, exploits and patches,” by ESET Senior Research Fellow David Harley, published on our sister site WeLiveSecurity. What is patch management?Patch management is the process of distributing and applying updates to software. These patches are often necessary to correct errors (also referred to as “vulnerabilities” or “bugs”) in the software. Common areas that will need patches include operating systems, applications, and embedded systems (like network equipment). When a vulnerability is found after the release of a piece of software, a patch can be used to fix it. Doing so helps ensure that assets in your environment are not susceptible to exploitation. This video covers the basics of patching, including what it is and why it is important. You’ll also learn about the common sources of patches—OS vendors, application vendors, and network equipment vendors—and how patch management tools such as BigFix and Microsoft SCCM can help you remediate vulnerabilities. For more details on patch management, its benefits and best practices, continue reading below. Why do we need patch management?Patch management is important for the following key reasons:
How your organization benefits from an efficient patch management programYour company can benefit from patch management in a variety of ways:
The patch management processIt would be a poor strategy to just install new patches the second they become available for all assets in your organization's inventory without considering the impact. Instead, a more strategic approach should be taken. Patch management should be implemented with a detailed, organizational process that is both cost-effective and security-focused. Key steps to the patch management process include:
Patch management best practicesSome best practices to keep in mind when implementing patch management include:
Embedding patch management into your vulnerability management effortsPatch management is a vital part of every vulnerability management program. However, having a consistent approach to patch management doesn’t always mean slapping a fix on everything in sight. When a vulnerability is identified, you essentially have three options:
It’s up to organizations to decide which option is best for them in specific situations, though patching is the ideal treatment to ultimately strive for. The terms “patch management” and “vulnerability management” are sometimes used interchangeably, but it is important to understand the difference. Though both strategies aim to mitigate risk, patch management (the process of managing software updates) is limited in scope. To gain a deeper understanding of your environment and make informed, impactful decisions, you need to move to a more holistic approach through vulnerability management. Vulnerability management is a continuous process of identifying, prioritizing, remediating, and reporting on security vulnerabilities in systems and the software that runs on them. Patch management is a critical component of vulnerability management, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To successfully
embed patch management into your vulnerability management program, the following steps should be implemented:
Which of the following would be considered a secure protocol to use to reach your network?For Milestone 4 (Reach Your Network), which of the following would be considered a secure protocol to use to reach your network? EXPLANATION Of the protocols listed, only Secure Shell (SSH) is encrypted. The other protocols would expose data to being easily intercepted.
Which Microsoft tool can be used to review a system's security configuration against recommended settings quizlet?Overview. The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is a software tool that helps determine the security of your Windows computer based on Microsoft's security recommendations.
What name do we give to attacks that occur before a patch is available?A zero-day vulnerability is a software vulnerability discovered by attackers before the vendor has become aware of it. Because the vendors are unaware, no patch exists for zero-day vulnerabilities, making attacks likely to succeed.
In which milestone should you use a network scanner and then confirm?In which milestone should you use a network scanner and then confirm the scan manually with a room-by-room walkthrough? The Map Your Network milestone ensures that you are aware of all the components of the network and that you know where the physical devices are.
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