Patch and Update Management
Keeping software up to date
A known, unpatched vulnerability is easier for an attacker to exploit than an unknown one, because there's already public documentation and sometimes even proof-of-concept code available. That's why having a formal patch management process, which identifies available updates, assesses their criticality and applies them within a defined time frame according to severity, is as important as any other security control. Many organizations fail not because they don't know a patch exists, but because they don't have a clear process for testing and deploying it quickly without breaking the application in production. Automating this process where possible, and prioritizing updates to components with actively exploited critical vulnerabilities, significantly reduces the window of exposure to known attacks.