Patching-There is No One Size Fits All

Each IT environment is unique.

Each company, organization or government entity has different

Applications

Hardware

Security Compliance Requirements

User Needs

Due to this fact there is no one patching schema that fits all organizations. Patching comes with certain risk and therefore patching recommendations cannot be totally left to the vendors to manage. Due to the interconnectedness of applications, an update patch to one application can change the way it interacts with other applications and can cause the overall IT infrastructure to not operate properly. In addition, the patching may cause security concerns.

The patches that get applied need to be necessary patches to ensure the continued operation of the network and cause minimal impact to the user environment. After patches become available the internet becomes a buzz with the affect that the patches have had on the program being patched as well as programs that that program may interact with. Based off of this information you can determine if you wish to apply certain patches or if you can get by with skipping some as they will affect either the user environment or other applications.

In the end you must me the master of your patching destiny or you must hire a group that can help you administer your change control plan. You cannot rely on the software vendors recommendations only. If you want to keep your user environment working well and stay secure, you will have to get informed, stay informed and apply your patches intelligently and with attention to detail.