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

The purpose of this customizable policy, written by Scott Matteson for TechRepublic Premium, is to provide guidelines for the appropriate application of patches in an organization.

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  Ensure the patching solution covers all areas which will need to be updated: applications, operating systems, firmware, etc.

  Build a reliable and accurate inventory list of all systems/devices in the environment which are to be patched. Keep this list up to date and remove retired or dead systems as appropriate.

  Make sure to include in the inventory list mobile devices or external systems which connect to the company network. Employee-owned devices used for business purposes should be included in this list as well.

  Where possible, consider implementing network or VPN restrictions which will prohibit unpatched devices from connecting to the company network.

  A development or test environment is essential to properly vet out patches. Set up this environment as closely to ‘production’ or ‘live’ active systems as possible, including the same hardware, settings, and applications, making sure to include both workstations and servers.

Strengthen your patch management with our six-page policy. This is available for download at just $9. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 12 hours of dedicated writing, editing, research, and design.