Improving Web Application Security: Threats and - CGISecurity

How To: Implement Patch Management 753DeployingIf you decide that the patch is safe to install, you must deploy the update to yourproduction servers in a reliable and efficient way. You have a number of options fordeploying patches throughout the enterprise. These include:● Using Software Updates Services (SUS)●Using Systems Management Server (SMS)Using Software Update Services (SUS)SUS provides a way to automatically deploy crucial updates and security rollups tocomputers throughout a network, without requiring you to visit each computer orwrite script. For more information about using SUS, see “Software Update Services,Part 1” at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/tools/sadsus1.asp.Using Systems Management Server (SMS)SMS is an enterprise management tool for delivering configuration and changemanagement of Microsoft Windows server and workstation operating systems.For more information about using SMS to deploy updates, see TechNet article,“Patch Management Using Microsoft Systems Management Server” athttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itsolutions/MSM/swdist/pmsmsog.asp.MaintainingBringing your servers up to date with the latest patches is part of the patchmanagement cycle. The patch management cycle begins again by knowing when newsecurity vulnerabilities are found and missing security updates become available.Keeping your servers up to date with the latest security patches involves this entirecycle. You start the cycle again by:● Performing security assessments● Using security notification servicesPerforming Security AssessmentsUse MBSA to regularly check for security vulnerabilities and to identify missingpatches and updates. Schedule MBSA to run daily and analyze the results to takeaction as needed. For more information about automating MBSA, see “How To:Use MBSA” in the How To section of this guide.