patchpolicy

Patchpolicy is a formal document that defines how an organization manages patches and updates for software, firmware, and configurations. It sets the processes, roles, and controls required to identify, evaluate, test, deploy, and verify patches while balancing security risk with service availability and regulatory compliance.

Scope and governance: The policy applies to all in-scope systems and components, including operating systems, applications, devices, and cloud services. It assigns responsibilities to security teams, IT operations, application owners, and a change advisory board, and it specifies escalation paths, authorization requirements, and review cycles.

Process: Patching begins with vulnerability discovery from vendors and threat intelligence. Patches are evaluated for relevance and risk, prioritized, and, where appropriate, tested in a dedicated staging or test environment. Changes are documented and approved through a change-management process before deployment, with verification and monitoring after application and a rollback plan in place.

Scheduling and prioritization: Organizations typically operate regular patch cycles, with expedited handling for critical vulnerabilities. Patches may be deployed in phased rollouts and maintenance windows to minimize disruption. Automated monitoring helps confirm successful installation and detect failures requiring remediation.

Compliance and reporting: The policy mandates documentation, audit trails, and metrics such as patch coverage, mean time to patch, and failure rates. It sets review intervals and continual improvement processes.

Standards and related guidance: Patchpolicy is often aligned with standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, NIST SP 800-40, and CIS Controls. The policy should be reviewed periodically to reflect new threats, technologies, and business requirements.