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    FITS OM Directory Services Administration Contents

    PM 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

    PM 2 Implementation guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

    PM 3 Operations guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

    PM 4 Roles and responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

    PM 5 Patch Management assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

    Key

    Cross reference: Cross reference

    Patch

    M anagement

    Framework for ICT Technical Support Operations Management

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    Becta 2006

    You may reproduce this material free of charge in any format or medium without

    specific permission, provided you are not reproducing it for profit, material or

    financial gain. You must reproduce the material accurately and not use it in a

    misleading context. If you are republishing the material or issuing it to others, you

    must acknowledge its source,copyright status and date of publication.

    Publication date March 2006

    Originally published online in February 2006 as part of the Becta website

    http://www.becta.org.uk/fits

    While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information to ensure that

    it is accurate at the time of publication, Becta cannot be held responsible for any loss,

    damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any error or inaccuracy within these

    pages. Although all references to external sources (including any sites linked to the

    Becta site) are checked both at the time of compilation and on a regular basis, Becta

    does not accept any responsibility for or otherwise endorse any product or

    information contained in these pages, including any sources.

    British Educational Communications

    and Technology Agency,

    Millburn Hill Road,

    Science Park,

    Coventry CV4 7JJ

    Patch Management

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    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 1

    Patch Management

    PM 1 Overview

    PM 1.1 What is Patch Management?The goal of Patch Management is to keep the components installed on the network

    (hardware,software and services) up to date with the latest patches and updates.

    The network components covered in Patch Management may include:

    Computers

    Servers

    Software

    Peripherals Cabling

    Routers and switches

    Services such as messaging, database, MIS and file storage.

    PM 1.2 Why have Patch Management?Patch Management is an important part of keeping the components of the network

    available to the end user.Without regular patching, the ICT infrastructure could fall

    foul of problems which are fixed by updating regularly the software, firmware and

    drivers. Poor patching can also allow viruses and spyware to infect the network. Patch

    Management should be a centralised, managed service that guarantees protection,

    rather than a user-installed, piecemeal approach that leaves the state of the networkunknown.

    The internet offers schools the opportunity to enhance learning and teaching via

    new ICT services such as email,video conferencing, instant messaging and a huge

    library of information. However, the downside of internet access is that the schools

    network is vulnerable to threats of disruption to these services, which may also

    compromise the reliability, availability and security of the entire network and ICT

    services. Many of the threats come from malware, which is a term used to describe

    malicious software such as viruses, Trojans and now spyware.

    Protecting the network with security measures provides one layer of protection,

    while educating your users about the threats of spyware and malware provides

    another layer. Users need to know what to do when they receive an email from anunknown source: whether just to delete it, report it to technical support or open it.

    Users also need to know how to deal with browser plug-ins or instructions from

    browsers to click here to install updates, as these could easily be spyware attempts to

    infect that computer. It is possible to counter threats like these with a combination of

    software and user education.

    User education needs only to inform users about potential threats and how to deal

    with them; it does not need to go into detail. As a minimum, users need to know how

    to inform technical support if they suspect malware activity, or ask if they are unsure

    about any email or browser activity that is unfamiliar to them.This education needs

    to be frequent enough to keep it in the minds of the users perhaps once a month

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    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 2

    in a newsletter or bulletin.To enforce safe practice by users,the school can put in

    place an acceptable use policy which clarifies what users may and may not do.

    PM 1.3 Who uses Patch Management?Technical support staff use Patch Management every day as part of their regular

    maintenance schedule to ensure that the network components are up to date. End

    users may also be allocated some Patch Management tasks such as keeping their

    laptop updated with the latest antivirus software.

    PM 1.4 How Patch Management worksPatch Management uses information from the CMDB (configuration management

    database) and a network topology (map) managed by the FITS Configuration

    Management process to provide a clear picture of the components that make up the

    network and how these are configured.

    Patch Management focuses on maintaining the availability and security of the

    technology which supports the ICT services by updating the following in a

    planned way:

    Software designed to protect the network against threats such as viruses,

    Trojans, worms and spyware

    Unpatched software and drivers.

    For Patch Management to be effective, the patch administrator (PM 4) needs to have

    access to information about new patch releases, antivirus and spyware updates,

    driver updates and so on. You can make a list or spreadsheet of manufacturers

    websites that hold the patches and updates in the configuration management

    database to give all technical support staff access to this important information.The

    patch administrator can create the list and keep it up to date by regularly visiting

    manufacturer and supplier websites, or by subscribing to mailing lists.

    Some websites are now beginning to add RSS (really simple syndication) feeds to

    their sites, which allows the patch administrator to take the headlines from the siteand list them all together on one page.The patch administrator can see at a glance

    the changes that are relevant and then construct a custom page with information

    about driver updates from multiple suppliers.

    It is recommended that the patch administrator allocates time for keeping up to date

    with the latest information about updates for all of the components in the network.

    A release of software that includes bug fixes or performance-enhancing changesPatch or fix

    Software required by the operating system to make a piece of hardware functionDriver

    A release of software that bundles together several patches and/or updates to

    provide a clear benchmark or level of release (eg This software has Service Release 1

    installed.)

    Service release orservice pack

    A release of software that adds new functionality to an earlier versionUpdate

    Software that has a numeric or named attribute denoting its maturity or age

    (eg Are you on version 1 or 2?)

    Higher value increments indicate a more mature release, which is likely to have fewer

    bugs and to run better than earlier builds.

    Version or build

    Patch Managementterms

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    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 3

    PM 1.5 What does Patch Management cost?The cost of Patch Management has three aspects: expenditure, people and time.

    PM 1.5.1 Expenditure

    Patch Management may require subscriptions to vendors of antivirus and

    antispyware software. As spyware is a relatively new threat to school networks,

    we have included some additional information on this in Appendix A.Also some hardware manufacturers require you to pay for switch,BIOS and other

    equipment updates.

    Once you have bought a product, you normally receive the updates, service packs

    and patches for free. However, if a new version comes out and you want to move

    onto that, you usually have to buy the whole product or upgrade to it, for which you

    have to pay.

    Manufacturers usually provide hardware drivers at no cost as they are of no value

    without the purchased hardware. However, if you do not have a valid licence code or

    serial number for the hardware item, you may not be allowed to download the latest

    driver free of charge.

    PM 1.5.2 People

    In a complex network with a high number of components, Patch Management may

    require a full-time member of staff. However, most schools will allocate Patch

    Management roles to a technician or the network manager.

    The patch administrator is responsible for the keeping the network components up

    to date, but may delegate tasks to others such as technicians, ICT staff or users.

    PM 1.5.3 Time

    It takes time to keep up to date with manufacturer changes and releases to software

    and hardware. It also takes time to plan and perform updates and patches.

    When considering the resources required to maintain the network, bear in mind that

    the more versions of operating systems there are in your school, the more patches

    and releases you will have to apply, which of course takes more time.This is why we

    recommend that you limit the number of different types of hardware and operating

    systems that you buy.

    PM 2 Implementation guide

    PM 2.1 Define your Patch Management policyYou may want to include the following in your Patch Management policy.

    A list of computers, servers and peripherals on the network covered under the policy

    (this information should be available in the configuration management database)1

    Allocation of roles and responsibilities for Patch Management activities2Patch Management schedules3

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    PM 2.2 Prepare to implementGood preparation can make the difference between a successful implementation of

    Patch Management and an unsuccessful one.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 4

    A list of which patches and updates will be carried out using the Change and

    Release Management processes and which can be done without them

    For example updating antivirus definitions is unlikely to require Change

    Management and Release Management, as there is only a low chance of failure

    and impact on the users,but upgrades to operating systems should, as these are

    more prone to failure and the impact of failure on the users could be high.

    If you decide to carry out a patch or update without Change Management andRelease Management, you should still log it, as a record of the information could

    help with future incident or problem diagnosis.

    4

    Definition of which email attachments and internet downloads are safe to open and

    how this will be communicated to users.5

    The first step is to identify the participants and assign roles and responsibilities.

    We recommend that for the initial implementation you involve as few people as

    possible so that the tasks can become familiar with minimum impact on the

    day-to-day workload of the school.

    The people you select to fulfil the Patch Management roles will depend on how you

    currently provide technical support and who is involved already.

    Roles andresponsibilities

    After you have assigned roles and responsibilities, it is important to ensure that those

    participating in the implementation and subsequent operation of the function

    understand what is required of them. Use the FITS OM website as training material.

    Training

    A start date is important for any implementation.Choose a date that you can

    achieve, bearing in mind that you will need to have an up-to-date list of the

    network components before you start. If you do not have this, you will have to allow

    time to carry out a full audit or implement FITS Configuration Management.

    Start date

    Communication must take place within the implementation team to agree plans,

    schedule dates and so on, but it is also important to communicate externally and

    inform the user community of the new function.

    It is a good idea to send out a regular bulletin or email to keep your users informed

    of changes that have taken place and those that are about to happen.This keeps

    everyone up to date and helps to mitigate potential problems.

    Communications

    Before you can go ahead with the implementation, you will need all the materials

    and tools required for the function see below for guidelines on maintaining a full

    up-to-date inventory and using automating tools.

    Materials

    PM 2.2.1 Full up-to-date inventory

    Your configuration management database will contain information about each

    hardware and software component,known in FITS as a configuration item (CI),

    installed on the network. For Patch Management it is recommended that you also

    keep the following attribute information for each CI.

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    PM 2.2.2 Automating tools

    Installing the latest drivers, patches and updates on every computer in school can

    obviously take a lot of time and may seem like an endless task. However, you can

    speed up the process using software deployment tools.Tools such as disk imaging or

    patch management software, along with antivirus administration console software,

    can help make the task less burdensome.

    Disk imaging is one method of bringing several computers up to date reasonably

    quickly.Using Release Management you should be able to document and prepare an

    image in a consistent way, and then use the Change Management process to deploy

    the image.

    PM 2.3 Assigning roles and responsibilitiesYou will need to assign the following roles before implementing the policies:

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 5

    BIOS, firmware, system board drivers, video driver, network driverComputer

    Service packs, patches, feature packsOperating system

    FirmwareSwitch

    Data file/Virus definition updateAntivirus

    Data file/Virus definition updateAntispyware

    Driver, firmwarePrinter

    Driver, firmwareScanner

    Type Updates

    Person responsible for implementing

    and running the Patch Management

    strategies, eg:

    Network manager

    Technician

    Supplier.

    Ownership of all updates including:

    Operating system and application

    patches for computers and servers

    Antivirus and antispyware updates

    Firmware updates for hardware

    Printer driver updates.

    Patchadministrator(see PM 4.1)

    Person responsible for managing the

    assessment and approval of major ICT

    infrastructure changes or theintroduction of new hardware or

    software, eg:

    Network manager

    Technician

    Supplier.

    If it is decided that the new patch or

    update requires Change Management,

    completing a request for change form(see ChM Appendix A) will be

    necessary.Change manager

    (see ChM 5.6)

    Role Suggested representative Comments

    Person responsible for managing the

    process of planning,building, testing and

    deploying new hardware or software,eg:

    Network manager

    Technician

    Supplier.

    If it is decided that the new patch or

    update requires Release Management,

    completing a build and install form

    (see RM Appendices D and F) will

    be necessary.

    Release manager(see RM 5.1)

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    PM 2.4 Implementing Patch ManagementThe Patch Management cycle

    We discuss each step of the cycle below.

    PM 2.4.1 Audit current state

    Before you can maintain your network, you need to understand its current state.This

    involves identifying the hardware, software, operating systems applications and their

    patch levels. Other hardware and peripherals such as printers and switches have

    firmware that you should also identify.

    This may seem a big job to start with if you do not have this information to hand in a

    configuration management database, or on lists or spreadsheets. However, the

    information is vital for successful Patch Management implementation.There are tools

    to help you automate and speed up this process, obtainable from your operating

    system manufacturer or from third-party suppliers, which you may like to consider.

    Once you know the current state of your network you can begin to plan to bring it

    up to date by installing the latest drivers, patches, firmware and definitions. The aim

    of bringing everything up to date is to create a baseline from which you can start

    regular patch maintenance, as the process is far easier if everything is at the same

    level to begin with.

    When you carry out this audit you may find that there are several versions of a

    product in use. It is easier to manage a smaller number of versions or ideally only one

    version: the most recent. Managing several versions creates confusion and is more

    time consuming to support. If you find yourself in this situation, consider upgrading

    the older products to the latest version, which will probably involve a financial outlay

    but is worth it in the long run.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 6

    Audit current stateNew patch available

    Test patch

    Review deployment

    PatchManagement

    cycle

    Acquire patch

    Deploy patch

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    PM 2.4.2 New patch available

    News that a new patch is available may come from a variety of sources such as

    manufacturerswebsites, suppliersbulletins or technical forums.The patch will

    usually have some release information explaining what the patch fixes and who

    should use it. Read the information carefully and ensure that the patch applies to

    the components and overall network structure of your school. The patch may not be

    applicable to every component on the network, in which case you need to identify

    which components require the patch.

    The patch may also have an importance rating. If a patch is described as critical, it is

    important to install it as soon as your Change Management process allows because

    the reliability and security of your network may be at risk. If the patch is not critical,

    read the information released with it to understand when it should be implemented.

    If yours is a large network with many hardware components and software

    applications,you may receive new updates and patches every day.To release each

    one as it becomes available is time consuming and potentially disruptive to users of

    the ICT services. In this case you can collect a number of updates and patches into

    one release as long as you test the release before deployment.

    It is worth noting that in industry very few organisations with critical services will

    ever be the first to implement new patches. They prefer to live with known risks

    rather than implement new patches with unknown risks.

    PM 2.4.3 Acquire patch

    The next step is to acquire the patch by downloading it from the internet, getting it

    sent by post or having it emailed to you. Some of the new service packs are hundreds

    of megabytes in size, in which case requesting those on CD will save you bandwidth

    and download time.

    PM 2.4.4 Test patch

    Test the patch on a computer or other device reserved for testing (or a limited

    number of live computers).The testing itself depends on what the patch claims tofix. You may be able to ascertain that the bug has been fixed,although most patches

    nowadays are for obscure security holes. Once you are satisfied that the computer or

    other device still works properly and that the patch has not created other faults,

    continue to the next step.

    PM 2.4.5 Deploy patch

    This step may involve imaging a computer and deploying the new image, or it may

    involve visiting every computer affected by the patch. Again, this depends on the

    tools you have available and the patch management strategy you employ.

    A point to note is that in industry, companies implement change freezes they never

    do changes over the pre-Christmas period, for example. In the case of schools, it isprobably a good idea to have a change freeze during the first day of term and on

    exam days. Plan any major changes for a time when the users affected are not in

    school, so that there is enough time to roll back if anything should go wrong.

    PM 2.4.6 Review deployment

    Once you have deployed the patch, check that none of the computers with the new

    patch is adversely affected. Also, you need to check that the patch is installed

    successfully. You cannot assume that the patch has been installed on every computer,

    as other factors such as lack of disk space, computer shutdown or network problems

    may have affected the deployment.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 7

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    Once you have ascertained that the patch has been deployed successfully, update

    the configuration management database (CMDB) and/or the request for change

    document associated with this change.Report any incident or problem to the service

    desk for resolution using Incident Management or Problem Management.

    PM 2.5 PilotTo pilot your proposed Patch Management function, it is good practice to trial the

    changes first on a small group of computers. This enables you to experiment with the

    way that works best for you and your users. In a perfect world, you would have a test

    lab where you could experiment with different scenarios that reflected your live

    network. However, most schools do not have this facility,so it is best to test the

    implementation on a limited number of computers before going live with this

    function on the entire network.

    PM 2.6 Review the implementationReview your implementation by asking the following questions.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 8

    Consider upgrading older versions to the most recent version.Do we have different versions of thesame software/hardware?

    Include this time when estimating the installation time in future.How long did it take to obtain thelatest versions for each item?

    If necessary, consider changing the build procedure or creating

    additional build procedures to cater for this.

    How easy was it to update eachgroup of items?

    Consider how you informed users and the timescales involved.

    Also consider any training implications of the changes made.

    Did the changes made adverselyaffect any users? If so, is there

    anything you could do to mitigate

    this in the future?

    Inform staff of their involvement in this process and what is

    expected of them.

    Do people understand their rolesand responsibilities?

    If not, go back and perform this section again.Was each step of theimplementation covered?

    Question Points to think about

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    PM 3 Operations guide

    PM 3.1 What needs to be done?

    PM 3.2 When does it need to be done?For most technical support teams, patch releases are becoming a normal part of life.

    The frequency of releases is also becoming more regular and less erratic, whichmakes scheduling their installation easier. In general, software providers supply

    patches once a month, whereas firmware updates tend to be yearly or six-monthly.

    Below is a list of network components that require patch management.

    Computers

    Apple computers

    Servers

    Switches,hubs and routers

    This list is not comprehensive, so you may well have other items to which you will

    need to apply patch management. Use the information in your CMDB to create a list

    of your network components that require patch management.

    PM 3.2.1 Computers

    As soon as you take a new computer out of its box, it is already out of date!

    The computer industry moves very fast and within a few weeks of installation, unless

    you keep it up to date with critical patches, your computer may be in danger of being

    hacked or damaged,even with the protection of a firewall and antivirus software.

    To prevent this from causing problems, follow a patch maintenance schedule.

    Example schedule for computers

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 9

    Check hardware items for firmware updates.

    Check software items for patches, updates, service packs and drivers.

    Check antivirus programs for updates to virus definition files.

    Check antispyware programs for updates to definition files.

    Search the internet regularly to find out about new threats,patches or releases.

    Schools do not always receive this information automatically.

    Check for new software patches.

    Check for the latest antivirus definitions.

    Check that spyware definitions are up to date.

    Check for news about new threats, new patches and new releases.

    Weekly

    Check that drivers (for example video and network) are up to date.

    Check antivirus engine updates.Monthly

    Check for new printer drivers.

    Check BIOS firmware.Six monthly

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    PM 3.2.2 Apple computers

    Apple Mac workstations differ from other computers in that they can only run the

    Apple Mac operating system, whereas most other computers are able to run several

    operating systems.This guide applies to Mac OS X or later, since Apple no longer

    supports Mac OS 9 and earlier versions. Because of this difference,Apple machines

    have a more clearly defined schedule that you should follow.

    Example schedule for Apple computers

    PM 3.2.3 Servers

    Servers require more attention than personal computers, as servers are more critical.

    Do not make major changes to servers without going through the Change

    Management process. Ideally, this even applies to antivirus updates,but it is

    particularly vital for firmware or software patches. Using Change Management will

    prevent you from making changes without planning and considering all the

    implications of that change.

    Example schedule for servers

    PM 3.2.4 Switches, hubs and routers

    Like computers, switches, hubs and routers have software that you may need to

    update.This tends be in the form of firmware updates. Although manufacturers test

    firmware thoroughly before releasing it, some bugs or performance loss is still

    possible in the final release.

    It is important not to forget firmware updates,since to do so may affect the reliability

    and security of your school network. Before making changes to switches, hubs or

    routers, make a backup of the configuration! Some firmware updates can wipe the

    memory and result in lost configuration.

    You should check for new updates for switch, hub and router firmware annually.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 10

    Check for software updates.

    Check antivirus definitions.Weekly

    Check for third-party software updates.

    Check antivirus engine updates.Monthly

    Check for new printer drivers.Six monthly

    Check for new operating system version.Annually

    Check for new software patches.

    Check for the latest antivirus definitions.

    Check for new spyware definitions.

    Weekly

    Check for new drivers (for example video and network).

    Check antivirus engine updates.Monthly

    Check for new printer drivers.

    Check BIOS firmware.Six monthly

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    PM 3.3 Who does it?Technical support staff or third-party suppliers perform most of the activities in Patch

    Management. However, users can do some of the more routine updates.

    PM 3.4 How is it measured?There are several ways of measuring Patch Management:

    The amount of activity (number of patches and updates installed)the process produces

    The number of hours per week spent on the activity

    The number of requests for change the process generates

    Percentage success rate of applied patches

    Percentage of patches/updates that fail testing

    Number of patches applied compared to patches issued.

    It is worth noting the impact of not implementing Patch Management. If you do not

    use Patch Management, computers may become infected with viruses that spread

    over the network and seriously affect the reliability and security of all the school's

    ICT services.

    PM 4 Roles and responsibilities

    We have defined the principal roles and their associated responsibilities for PatchManagement according to best practice. Schools may need to combine some roles,depending on size, organisational structure and any underlying service level agreementsexisting between technical support and the school.

    Role descriptions in the context of the Patch Management function are not job

    descriptions. Depending on the size and structure of your technical support team,

    one person may assume more than one role. However, good practice for function

    management dictates that although different people may be involved in performingactivities, there should be only one owner per function.This means that one

    individual is always accountable for overall function performance and can intervene

    to make things happen when a function breaks down.

    PM 4.1 Patch administratorThe patch administrator is the function owner with full responsibility for ensuring

    that Patch Management is performed correctly. In a school, it is likely that the patch

    administrator role will be shared with other FITS OM function and FITS process roles.

    As Patch Management works closely with FITS OM Security Administration and FITS

    Change Management and Release Management,you can combine some of the roles.

    The patch administrator must keep informed about the release of new updates,

    drivers, patches and firmware.This may take up considerable time unless the task can

    be automated (for instance, by email notifications from vendors and manufacturers).

    Key tasks

    Ensure that all operating systems and software have up-to-date service packs

    and patches.

    Keep drivers up to date.

    Keep firmware on hardware up to date.

    Keep antivirus and antispyware definitions up to date.

    Produce Release Management build procedures for major updates to enable

    other technicians to carry out the updates.

    Check that installations of patches and updates are successful.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 11

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    PM 5 Patch Management assessment

    Below is a table that asks basic questions about Patch Management. If you can answer yesto them all, you are doing fine. If you are answering some of the questions with a no orsometimes, then the table recommends some actions for you to take.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 12

    Define the scope of the Patch Management function. Document

    all activities and allocate them to the technical support staff.

    1. Have you defined the scopeand objectives of the Patch

    Management function?

    If a full up-to-date CMDB or inventory of hardware and software

    does not exist, implement Configuration Management or

    perform a full audit.

    2. Have you produced a fullhardware and software inventory?

    From the inventory, list the hardware manufacturers and software

    suppliers, plus each item they produce that you own. Make a

    note of how to obtain the latest update from each company

    (eg download or order CD).

    3. Have you a list of hardware andsoftware manufacturers and the

    items they produce that you own?

    Make sure that the Release Management DSL is up to date with

    the latest drivers, firmware and updates. This will make updates

    easy to find in the future.

    4. Have you stored the latest copy ofhardware and software updates in

    the definitive software library (DSL)?

    Using Change Management and Release Management, prepare

    a schedule of when to install updates and create an associated

    build procedure for each release of changes.

    5. Do you have a release plan forinstalling these updates?

    Inform staff about Patch Management, what is expected of them

    and how they are affected by any activities in this function.

    6. Do you inform all staff about thePatch Management function and

    how it affects them?

    Prepare to implement a small-scale pilot before implementing

    this function throughout the school.

    7. Have you planned a pilot beforeimplementing the function across

    the school?

    Once you have installed some updates, check to see if they were

    indeed installed correctly.

    8. Do you check whether updateswere installed correctly?

    Establish a single point of ownership and accountability for the

    Patch Management function.You can charge this person with

    implementing the other recommendations in this report through

    a programme of continuous improvement. Others involved in the

    Patch Management function will then know whom to contact if

    they identify any deficiencies in the function.

    9. Does the Patch Managementfunction have an owner

    responsible for its day-to-daymanagement and ongoing

    development?

    Give staff access to training material and provide experienced

    staff to help them learn the process. Run an improvement

    programme to increase function awareness.

    10. Are those performing thePatch Management function

    aware of how to do so?

    Mount an awareness campaign to make everyone aware of the

    tasks performed by the Patch Management function.

    11. Are the end users of the PatchManagement function aware of it

    and conforming to it?

    Question Recommended action

    Without documentation, the function is open to interpretation

    and will lack a consistent approach. Document the activities and

    make this documentation available to all staff performing them.

    The documentation can be used in training and as a reference point.

    12. Have you documented theactivities in the Patch Management

    function?

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    PM Appendices

    PM Appendix A Spyware

    What is spyware?

    A new type of threat has recently emerged in the form of spyware. Spyware is unlike

    a virus in that it does not replicate itself to other computers, but it can cause

    problems with a computers performance and send personal data back to anunknown source without the uses consent. Suppliers may bundle spyware with

    legitimate commercial software with the intention of collecting information for the

    supplier to use in further marketing or product improvements. However, any data

    collected and sent without the users consent or knowledge is considered spying.

    What does spyware do?

    Spyware can hijack your browser by changing the start page and default search

    page with its own copy.This can mean that your browser can be further infected with

    other trojans and viruses or simply annoy you with changes you did not ask for. It is

    well known that spyware slows computers down by taking up processor time and

    hard disk space doing whatever it is designed to do. Spyware usually collects and

    sends back information about the user.This information can include personal details(name, address and so on) plus information about websites visited or,worse, private

    information such as passwords or credit card information.

    What can I do to protect against spyware?

    These days most antivirus companies either sell antispyware software as a separate

    product or build it into their main antivirus product. There are also many good

    quality free antispyware programs available. However, these tend to be designed for

    manual scanning and removal, and may not provide real-time protection.

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 13

    You can download the templates from the FITS OM website http://becta.org.uk/fits_om/downloads.cfm

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    Appendix B Useful links

    FITS OM Patch Management Becta 2006 14

    Network administration advice and anecdoteshttp://www.thenetworkadministrator.com

    Independent patch management mailing listhttp://www.patchmanagement.org

    Antivirus productshttp://www.mcafee.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.symantec.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.trend.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.microsoft.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.sophos.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.grisoft.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.avast.com

    Antivirus productshttp://www.ca.com

    You can download the templates from the FITS OM website http://becta.org.uk/fits_om/downloads.cfm