Patch Management Checklist

Use the Patch Management Checklist to prepare, deploy, procure and test patches, ensuring systems are compliant with IT security and performance standards.

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IT & Data Center
Patch Management Checklist

Preparation

Pre-Deployment Research

Procuring Patches

Pre-Deployment Patch Testing

Patch Implementation

Post Implementation Process

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Checklist by GoAudits.com – Please note that this checklist is intended as an example. We do not guarantee compliance with the laws applicable to your territory or industry. You should seek professional advice to determine how this checklist should be adapted to your workplace or jurisdiction.

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Patch Management Checklist

Use the Patch Management Checklist to prepare, deploy, procure and test patches, ensuring systems are compliant with IT security and performance standards.

1. Has a patch management policy been created?

2. Have backups of all critical systems been created or tested?

3. Is there a roll-back plan in place to reverse the patches if something goes wrong quickly?

4. Has patch management software been set up to implement updates?

1. Has an inventory of all assets been completed?

2. Has the scope of patch management been defined or updated (e.g., identifying which assets need to be patched)?

3. Have the endpoints been split into groups based on the operating system type (e.g., test environment for Windows servers, test environment for Linux servers, production environment for Windows servers)?

4. Have the systems been split into groups based on application updates?

5. Have the systems been grouped based on SLA (low, medium, and high availability)?

6. Have all software, information, objects, databases, and hardware in the system requiring updates been identified?

7. Have the core stakeholders for each system been identified?

8. Have maintenance days for each system been identified?

9. Have system downtime periods for each asset been identified?

10. Have exceptions to patching been identified?

11. Has formal approval been obtained from the system stakeholders for patching and system downtime before starting the update process?

12. Has temporary remote access been gained to the target system for patch updates?

1. Have the necessary patches been uploaded to the patch management system?

2. Has the patch management system been set as a network proxy hub for patches?

1. Has a test environment been created containing all types of systems in the scope?

2. Have the relevant patches been deployed to the test environment on the scheduled date and time?

3. Has it been confirmed that the test system works as intended?

4. If problems are found, have they been recorded in detail, along with their criticality?

5. Has the security team and system owner analyzed the problems, assessed the risk, and determined whether to install the update in the production environment? Is the decision and reasoning recorded?

6. Has the system owner reviewed and approved the results of the updates tested in the test environment and granted permission to implement the updates in the production environment?

1. Has advance notice of at least 24 hours been provided for any planned system unavailability resulting from upgrades?

2. On the scheduled maintenance day, have updates been implemented on the designated systems or system groups in accordance with their SLA, starting with systems that have the lowest SLA?

3. Have updates been deployed to the production environment?

4. Has the system’s proper functioning been verified after the updates are applied?

5. If issues are identified, has the severity of the problem been evaluated by the system owner, and has approval been granted for rolling back the update if necessary?

6. Have the successful patch deployment results been recorded?

1. Has the technical documentation for the system been updated after each update is completed?

2. Is a monthly check performed for new updates, with a special focus on Patch Tuesday?

3. Are monthly vulnerability scans conducted to identify new security vulnerabilities?

4. Is the audit checklist regularly reviewed depending on process changes?