Patch Management Compliance Checklist For Companies In Riyadh

Keeping your systems up to date is an important part of your cybersecurity and IT compliancy. Old Operating Systems, Applications and Servers can become vulnerable to cyber criminals. 

To ensure you are keeping your systems updated within your company in Riyadh, you should create a process to ensure you identify any missing patches, test patches, log any activity and create recovery plans. 

By working with a Patch Management Service in Riyadh you can ensure your company are managing their patches. 

Why Is Patch Management Compliance Important? 

Patch management is the process of identifying, testing, deploying and monitoring patches for software. These patches will help fix any security vulnerabilities, bugs and performance issues. 

If you do not have a proper process in place then you may suffer from: 

• Security breaches due to vulnerable systems. 
• System failure due to poor testing. 
• Compliance issues due to lack of patching. 
• Downtime. 
• Increased threats from malware and ransomware. 
• Creating a process will help you show you have a systematic approach to patching. 

Patch Management Compliance Checklist For Riyadh Businesses 

Keep an Up To Date Inventory Of IT Assets 

Create a list of all of the systems that require patching. This could include desktops, laptops, servers, operating systems, business applications, databases and network devices. 

Keep a log of what version of software is on each device, who owns it, what operating system and whether it has been updated. Having an accurate log will help your IT team know which systems may have been missed. 

Identify Missing Patches And Prioritise 

Not all patches are the same. Security patches will be needed to be prioritised over general patches. This is because they are looking to fix actively exploited or critical vulnerabilities. 

You should prioritise your patches based on: 

• Severity Of Vulnerability 

• Exposed To External Networks 

• Importance Of System 

• Impact On Business 

• Available Vendor Updates 

This will help your IT team understand what to prioritise. 

Test Patches 

Testing patches is extremely important as they may not work on all systems. 

Before deploying patches to your business you should test them in a controlled environment. Ensure you check application, operating system, performance and connectivity. 

Once you have tested the patches successfully, you should gain approval to deploy patches. 

Plan Patch Deployment And Reduce Downtime 

When deploying patches you should ensure they are scheduled at a time that will not interfere with your business. Try to schedule them during evenings, weekends or approved maintenance periods. 

If they are critical security patches they may need to be deployed quicker however, you should still take into account any risks to your business. Let those affected know when you will be carrying out maintenance. 

Keep a log of: 

• Patch Name 

• Systems Affected 

• Patch Date 

• Team Responsible 

• Status 

• Patch Management Compliance Reporting 

Compliance reporting will help give you visibility into how your patches are being managed. It will also help you identify any security risks that are outstanding. 

A good Patch Management Report should include: 

Patch Status (Have patches been deployed successfully, are they pending, have they failed or have they been rejected?) 

• Compliance (% Of Systems That Are Compliant With Your Patching Requirements) 
• Unpatched Vulnerabilities (Systems That Don’t Have Critical/High Priority Patches) 
• Test Results (Compatibility Issues, Failed Tests, Approved) 
• Patch History (Patch Date, Devices Affected, Patch Details) 
• Exceptions (Systems That Have Had Patches Delayed, Reasons For Delays) 
• Remediation (What remedial actions are going to be taken.) 

Regularly review the reports with your IT team and relevant management. By having logs organised, it will help you carry out any internal reviews. 

Patch Management Rollback 

Sometimes even after testing patches there can be unexpected issues. Having a rollback plan will help you get your systems back up and running if patches have caused major compatibility/performance issues. 

Before deploying patches your organisation should: 

• Ensure you have verified backups of important systems. 
• Log system details. 
• Identify how to roll back or uninstall patches. 
• Who can approve and carry out the roll back. 
• Test any recovery processes if possible. 
• Log reason for rollback and what remedial actions have been taken. 

Not all patches can be rolled back easily. Some will require systems to be recovered or vendor support. You should include details on how to roll back based on the technology affected. 

How Bluechip Tech Can Help With Patch Management In Riyadh 

If you are looking for security patch management in Saudi Arabia then Bluechip Tech offer a range of services. 

As stated on their Patch Management In Riyadh page they offer automated patch detection and deployment. This will help identify any missing updates and deploy patches. 

Their services include: 

• Testing & Approval – Patches are tested in a safe environment. 
• Compliance Reporting – Detailed reports on patching. 
• Automated Patching – Patch management tools will identify and deploy patches. 
• Minimise Downtime – Patches deployed outside of business hours. 
• Prioritise Security – Critical security patches prioritised. 

If your organisation needs a more structured approach to patch deployment, reporting and IT security then these services would be relevant to you. 

Visit their official website to discuss your patch management requirements. 

Conclusion 

To have effective patch management you need to have a structured process in place. This should include identifying assets, prioritising patches, testing, deploying, compliance reporting and creating a rollback plan. 

By keeping accurate records and regularly reviewing your patch status you can reduce your exposure to security threats, increase reliability of your systems and help with your compliance. 

If you are looking for patch management services in Riyadh then look into Bluechip Tech patch management solutions.

FAQ

01 What should I include in my patch management report? 

A good patch management report will provide the reviewer enough information to determine what has been checked and what has actually been updated. It should include details of the patchable devices, OS / Firmware versions, patch IDs, vulnerability references (if available), when IT was deployed and what the outcome of the patch on each asset was. Any failed or delayed patches should be documented with reasons, who they were assigned to and when they will be actioned. 

Critical servers should include an approval of the changes, details of the maintenance window, what testing was done prior to deployment and what checks were undertaken post deployment. It can also be useful to show the vulnerability status before and after. If your Organisation in Saudi falls under the control requirements of the National Cybersecurity Authority then you should align IT to the controls you are required to follow. The exact requirements will depend on the entity and industry. 

02 How often should we check our servers, endpoints and firewalls? 

This can vary depending on your system but a good rule of thumb to follow in an office environment is to check for any opened security updates and failed patches once a week. If there is a major advisory from a vendor then IT would be wise to check again. This can then be reported on a monthly basis in your management report showing how well you are covering your systems and any aged exceptions. 

Firewalls / VPN gateways and other high risk devices exposed to the internet should be handled quickly. You should also include any devices that are out of support, any missing assets and any reboots or service disruptions required. You should set your deadlines based on the severity of the vulnerability, risk and impact to the business. Exceptions should be documented. This is just a guideline to follow and may differ based on contractual or regulatory requirements. 

03 How can we roll back a failed patch quickly? 

Before applying the patch you should identify any impacted applications, check the vendors documentation on rolling back, ensure you have a backup / snapshot that has been tested and ensure the team have the credentials to recover. With network devices ensure you have a known good config and check the firmware can be rolled back reliably. Ensure you have an agreed point to stop during the maintenance window. If the health checks fail then you should move to your recovery plan. 

Once rolled back ensure you have checked the application, database, network route and any services from a users perspective. Document the cause and place the patch in a controlled exception queue until a fix can be tested. Not all patches can be uninstalled so you may need to revert to a system image or failover service to get back up and running. 

04 How can we prioritise critical patches? 

Start by prioritising based on how likely IT is to be exploited and how much damage could be caused if compromised. Start with active exploits, particularly onVPN’s, firewalls, email services or systems containing sensitive data exposed to the internet. Next consider the severity from the vendor, if there is any code to exploit IT, how important the asset is and if the feature is even used. 

If you can’t apply the patch straight away then apply some temporary controls. This could be restricting access, turning off the vulnerable service, enhancing firewall rules or increasing monitoring. All exceptions should have an owner and deadline. Patching should be seen as a risk management process and not just a numbers game. NIST will have requirements for your Organisation in Saudi so ensure you are aware of any requirements from the NCA and any industry specific requirements before putting deadlines in place.