Patching of operating systems, applications and devices is not usually ranked as a favorite endeavor of IT professionals, but it’s a critical pro-cess to ensure secure company operations as well as to reduce downtime and technical support headaches.

A comprehensive patching strategy is a must in order to reap the benefits, however a willy-nilly approach can result in unexpected downtime, dissatisfied users and even more technical support headaches. A detailed plan which can easily be followed and yet protects company assets and personnel from pitfalls is essential for success.

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the appropriate application of patches in the organization. This policy can be customized as needed to fit the needs of your organization.

From the policy

SCOPE

All employees, whether full-time, part-time, contract workers, consultants, part-time staff, interns and temporary workers and other personnel are covered by this policy. It also applies to all company-owned equipment, employee-owned equipment used for business purposes or other material related to either.

EXCEPTIONS

There are no exceptions to this policy except where permitted in writing by the IT and/or Security departments.