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Search Search CSRC MENU Search Search Projects Publications Expand or Collapse Drafts for Public Comment All Public Drafts Final Pubs FIPS (standards) Special Publications (SP s ) IR (interagency/internal reports) CSWP (cybersecurity white papers) ITL Bulletins Project Descriptions Journal Articles Conference Papers Books Topics Expand or Collapse Security & Privacy Applications Technologies Sectors Laws & Regulations Activities & Products News & Updates Events Glossary About CSRC Expand or Collapse Computer Security Division Cryptographic Technology Software Security Group Hardware Security Group Security Engineering and Risk Management Applied Cybersecurity Division Cybersecurity and Privacy Applications National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Contact Us Information Technology Laboratory Computer Security Resource Center Publications NIST SP 1800-31 Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways Share to Facebook Share to X Share to LinkedIn Share ia Email Documentation Topics Date Published: April 2022 Author(s) Tyler Diamond (NIST) , Alper Kerman (NIST) , Murugiah Souppaya (NIST) , Kevin Stine (NIST) , Brian Johnson (MITRE) , Chris Peloquin (MITRE) , Vanessa Ruffin (MITRE) , Mark Simos (Microsoft) , Sean Sweeney (Microsoft) , Karen Scarfone (Scarfone Cybersecurity) Abstract Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves. Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched... See full abstract Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves. Hide full abstract Keywords cyber hygiene ; enterprise patch management ; firmware ; patch ; patch management ; software ; update ; upgrade ; vulnerability management Control Families None selected Documentation Publication: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31 Download URL Supplemental Material: Project homepage Document History: 09/10/20: SP 1800-31 (Draft) 11/17/21: SP 1800-31 (Draft) 04/06/22: SP 1800-31 (Final) Topics Security and Privacy patch management , vulnerability management Technologies software & firmware Applications enterprise Laws and Regulations Executive Order 14028 HEADQUARTERS 100 Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20899 X (link is external) facebook (link is external) linkedin (link is external) instagram (link is external) youtube (link is external) rss govdelivery (link is external) Want updates about CSRC and our publications? 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