Patch management best practice is an arguable concept. Your idea of patch management best practice may not be the same as someone else. It cannot be argued that there is a need for patch management in general; it is an absolute necessity for both business and personal computers. In the case of a personal computer, a user does not exactly need to write up a patch management best practice policy sheet, but they should make a conscientious attempt to install security patches as they are released by the software manufacturer.
In the case of a business, it certainly benefits to write a patch management best practice plan into company policy to ensure that all computers operated on the network remain standardized and in compliance. There are few greater risks to data security than to not have a patch management best practice. Security patches are absolutely vital to the safe operation of computers and to maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of the network.
Unprotected systems can be vulnerable to exploits that will allow hackers to take control of a machine, or, to be able to intercept data that is stored on or transmitted by that computer. Security holes allow the execution of malicious code sometimes by something as simple and seemingly harmless as visiting a website. Users may not even realize that the web sites they visit could potentially compromise their systems. Having in place a solid patch management best practice will help to make your computer base stable, safe and secure for those who use it. Make it policy that end users download install updates. Better yet, use a server based solution that does that for them automatically, removing the human factor from the equation. An automated patch deployment system is the best way to keep every computer updated to the latest security patches.
