Automated Patch Deployment

Despite the presence of network security devices such as firewalls and other security appliances, today's corporate networks are still vulnerable to both internal and external attacks by hackers intent on creating havoc. By proactively

Servers often contain sensitive data. Employee information, customer information, and proprietary business data are just a few examples of the types of sensitive data often secured on company servers. Thus, it is critical that servers are secure from infiltration and attack. One of the best ways to secure a server from attack is to maintain system updates and patches.

As an additional measure, companies should also incorporate some sort of system that can scan each system (such as MacAfee’s Foundstone product) and generate a report of any systems that lists the status of each server and list any patches that are missing. This sort of automated capability can save someone (as well as free up valuable resources) time logging into all the servers and checking to see if each updates were applied. It is a nice way to make sure that the system applying the updates is working 100%. This sort of feedback should not be overlooked.

2. Implement a patch management program to ensure programs and applications are up-to-date with security patches.

9. Which domains need software vulnerability assessments to mitigate risk from software vulnerabilities? The end point or workstation.

During this course there have been a number of key learning points that would help every organization protect itself from a cyber-event. These include password management, patch management, security policies, encryption, and user training. In each of the cyber security breaches one or more of these standard security protocols were not used.

Objective: Assess the security vulnerabilities of an organization's computer/network operating systems along with the techniques used to protect them.

Computer systems evolve over time in response to new requirements, businesses rarely have a blank slate to work with – so compromises and security gaps will develop, it is almost guaranteed.

It is critical that the operating system be kept as up to date as possible, with all critical security related patched installed.

Network Security Omission #1: Missing patches—all it takes for an attacker, or a rogue insider, is a missing patch on a server that permits an unauthenticated command prompt or other backdoor path into the web environment. Network security personnel should be extra careful when applying patches to servers but not applying any patches makes it too easy for attackers.

1. Set up a test environment for the test and updates, hot fixes and service packs.

In many companies it would still be considered a firing offence for having forgotten, or outright neglected to patch company servers. There are many good admins out there today, but a great deal more need to become far more proactive in their duties. One of the most vital ones being to keep the software up to date patch wise.  Parker (2005)

In this paper, we analyze the Crosby manufacturing corporation's dilemma about software update from the viewpoint of a project manager. Some of the main issues in this case study are discussed below in the form of positives and negatives:

Security content automation protocol or SCAP is a suite of specifications that regulates the method for communicating software flaw and security configuration information between machines and humans. [1] It provides automated and standardized approach for implementing baseline security configurations, checking that the patches for security vulnerabilities exist, monitoring the system security, checking if system is compromised and being able to establish the exact the posture of security for a system or organization at any given point of time. Determining the security posture is a challenge because of a number of reasons such as the number and variety of systems to secure, the need to quickly respond to new threats and the lack of

Software is the base necessity in a system as it acts as a guide between the user and the system. Programmers design different kinds of software by writing a complete set of written instructions that enables the system to obtain the request instructed by the user. However, with the increase of technological improvements, businesses are now looking at software development organizations to design cost effective, high-quality, and adaptive applications to meet business objectives. Software businesses can run into a variety of issues when creating, changing, or updating the software that they have created for their clients. For instance, a programmer could make a small change to an application causing a ripple effect with endless updates