SP 1800-31, Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/final","20231004203617","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1696451777"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta charset="utf-8"/> <title>SP 1800-31, Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways | CSRC</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta http-equiv="content-style-type" content="text/css"/> <meta http-equiv="content-script-type" content="text/javascript"/> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/> <meta name="msapplication-config" content="/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/browserconfig.xml"/> <meta name="theme-color" content="#000000"/> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="xbrnrVYDgLD-Bd64xHLCt4XsPXzUhQ-4lGMj4TdUUTA"/> <meta description="Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves."/>  <meta name="dcterms.title" content="NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-31, Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways"/> <meta name="dcterms.description" content="Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves."/>  <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Tyler Diamond (NIST)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Alper Kerman (NIST)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Murugiah Souppaya (NIST)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Kevin Stine (NIST)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Brian Johnson (MITRE)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Chris Peloquin (MITRE)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Vanessa Ruffin (MITRE)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Mark Simos (Microsoft)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Sean Sweeney (Microsoft)"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Author: Karen Scarfone (Scarfone Cybersecurity)"/>  <meta name="dcterms.date.created" schema="ISO8601" content="2022-04-06"/> <meta name="dcterms.identifier" content="https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/final"/> <meta name="dcterms.language" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC1766" content="EN-US"/>  <meta name="citation_title" content="Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways"/> <meta name="citation_publication_date" content="2022/04/06"/> <meta name="citation_doi" content="https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31"/> <meta name="citation_technical_report_number" content="NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-31"/> <meta name="citation_technical_report_institution" content="National Institute of Standards and Technology"/> <meta name="citation_keywords" content="cyber hygiene,enterprise patch management,firmware,patch,patch management,software,update,upgrade,vulnerability management"/> <meta name="citation_language" content="en"/> <meta name="citation_pdf_url" content="https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31"/> <meta name="citation_abstract_html_url" content="https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/final"/>  <meta name="citation_author" content="Diamond, Tyler"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Kerman, Alper"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Souppaya, Murugiah"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Stine, Kevin"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Johnson, Brian"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Peloquin, Chris"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Ruffin, Vanessa"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Simos, Mark"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Sweeney, Sean"/> <meta name="citation_author" content="Scarfone, Karen"/>  <meta name="og:site_name" content="CSRC | NIST"/> <meta name="og:type" content="article"/> <meta name="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/final"/> <meta name="og:title" content="NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-31, Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways"/> <meta name="og:description" content="Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle..."/> <meta name="article:author" content="Diamond, Tyler"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Kerman, Alper"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Souppaya, Murugiah"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Stine, Kevin"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Johnson, Brian"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Peloquin, Chris"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Ruffin, Vanessa"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Simos, Mark"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Sweeney, Sean"/> <meta name="article:author" content="Scarfone, Karen"/> <meta name="article:tag" content="cyber hygiene,enterprise patch management,firmware,patch,patch management,software,update,upgrade,vulnerability management"/> <meta name="article:published_time" content="2022-04-06"/> <meta name="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/images/CSRC-logo-open-graph.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/apple-touch-icon.png"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16"/> <link rel="manifest" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/manifest.json"/> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#000000"/> <link href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"/> <link href="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="icon"/> <link href="/web/20231004203617cs_/https://csrc.nist.gov/dist/app.css" rel="stylesheet"/>  <style> .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } </style> <script async type="text/javascript" id="_fed_an_ua_tag" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617js_/https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=nist&subagency=csrc&pua=UA-66610693-15&yt=true&exts=xsd,xml,wav,mpg,mpeg,avi,rtf,webm,ogg,ogv,oga,map,otf,eot,svg,ttf,woff"></script> <style id="antiClickjackCss"> body > * { display: none !important; } #antiClickjack { display: block !important; } </style> <noscript> <style id="antiClickjackNoScript"> body > * { display: block !important; } #antiClickjack { display: none !important; } </style> </noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="antiClickjackScript"> if (self === top) { // no clickjacking var antiClickjack = document.getElementById("antiClickjackCss"); antiClickjack.parentNode.removeChild(antiClickjack); } else { setTimeout(tryForward(), 5000); } function tryForward() { top.location = self.location; } </script>  <script async src="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617js_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-TSQ0PLGJZP"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-TSQ0PLGJZP'); </script> </head> <body> <div id="antiClickjack" style="display: none;"> <strong style="font-size: 1.6rem;">You are viewing this page in an unauthorized frame window.</strong> <p>This is a potential security issue, you are being redirected to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/">https://csrc.nist.gov</a>.</p> </div> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official government website"> <div class="usa-accordion container"> <header class="usa-banner__header"> <noscript> <p style="font-size: 0.85rem; font-weight: bold;">You have JavaScript disabled. 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.csrc.e1c.nist.gov%2Fpubs%2Fsp%2F1800%2F31%2Ffinal" class="social-facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook fa-fw" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Share to Facebook</span></a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.csrc.e1c.nist.gov%2Fpubs%2Fsp%2F1800%2F31%2Ffinal" class="social-twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter fa-fw" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Share to Twitter</span></a> </div> <p class="hidden-lg hidden-md">     <a href="#pubs-documentation" class="btn btn-lg btn-info" id="pub-topics-anchor-sm">Documentation</a>     <a href="#pubs-topics" class="btn btn-lg btn-info" id="pub-topics-anchor-sm">Topics</a> </p> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8 col-sm-12 publication-panel"> <p> <strong>Date Published:</strong> <span id="pub-release-date" data-date-type="citation">April 2022</span><br/> </p> <h4>Author(s)</h4> <p id="pub-authors-container" data-total="10"> <span id="pub-author-0">Tyler Diamond (NIST)</span>, <span id="pub-author-1">Alper Kerman (NIST)</span>, <span id="pub-author-2">Murugiah Souppaya (NIST)</span>, <span id="pub-author-3">Kevin Stine (NIST)</span>, <span id="pub-author-4">Brian Johnson (MITRE)</span>, <span id="pub-author-5">Chris Peloquin (MITRE)</span>, <span id="pub-author-6">Vanessa Ruffin (MITRE)</span>, <span id="pub-author-7">Mark Simos (Microsoft)</span>, <span id="pub-author-8">Sean Sweeney (Microsoft)</span>, <span id="pub-author-9">Karen Scarfone (Scarfone Cybersecurity)</span> </p> <div class="bs-callout bs-callout-success pub-abstract-callout"> <h4 id="pubs-abstract-header">Abstract</h4> <div class="hidden-sm hidden-xs hidden-xxs" id="pub-detail-abstract-info"><p><em>Patching</em> is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves.</p></div> <div class="hidden-lg hidden-md"> <div id="pub-detail-abstract-min"> Patching is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched... <a href="#pubs-abstract-header" id="pub-detail-abs-show">See full abstract</a> </div> <div id="pub-detail-abstract-all" style="display: none;"> <p><em>Patching</em> is the act of applying a change to installed software – such as firmware, operating systems, or applications – that corrects security or functionality problems or adds new capabilities. Despite widespread recognition that patching is effective and attackers regularly exploit unpatched software, many organizations cannot or do not adequately patch. There are myriad reasons why, not the least of which are that it’s resource-intensive and that the act of patching can reduce system and service availability. Also, many organizations struggle to prioritize patches, test patches before deployment, and adhere to policies for how quickly patches are applied in different situations. To address these challenges, the NCCoE collaborated with cybersecurity technology providers to develop an example solution that addresses these challenges. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how tools can be used to implement the patching and inventory capabilities organizations need to handle both routine and emergency patching situations, as well as implement isolation methods or other emergency mitigations as alternatives to patching. It also explains recommended security practices for patch management systems themselves.</p><br/> <a href="#pubs-abstract-header" id="pub-detail-abs-hide">Hide full abstract</a> </div> </div> <h4>Keywords</h4> <span id="pub-keywords-container" data-total="9"> <span id="pub-keyword-0">cyber hygiene</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-1">enterprise patch management</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-2">firmware</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-3">patch</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-4">patch management</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-5">software</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-6">update</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-7">upgrade</span>; <span id="pub-keyword-8">vulnerability management</span> </span> </div> <h5>Control Families</h5> <p> <span id="pub-control-fam-container" data-total="0">None selected</span> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-4 col-sm-12"> <div class="bs-callout bs-callout-success" id="pubs-documentation"> <h4>Documentation</h4> <p> <strong>Publication:</strong><br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31" id="pub-doi-link"> <i class="fa fa-external-link" aria-hidden="true"></i> https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31 </a><br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1800-31.pdf" id="pub-local-download-link"> <i class="fa fa-download"></i> Download URL </a><br/> </p> <p> <strong>Supplemental Material:</strong><br/> <span id="pub-supp-container" data-total="1"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://www.nccoe.nist.gov/projects/critical-cybersecurity-hygiene-patching-enterprise" id="pub-supp-link-0"><i class="fa fa-file"></i> Project homepage </a><br/> </span> </p> <p> <strong>Document History:</strong><br/> <span id="pub-history-container" data-total="3"> 09/10/20: <a href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/iprd" id="pub-history-link-0" data-current-document="false">SP 1800-31 (Draft)</a><br/> 11/17/21: <a href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/1800/31/ipd" id="pub-history-link-1" data-current-document="false">SP 1800-31 (Draft)</a><br/> 04/06/22: <span id="pub-history-link-2" data-current-document="true">SP 1800-31 (Final)</span><br/> </span> </p> </div> <div class="bs-callout bs-callout-danger" id="topicsCallout-lg"> <h4>Topics</h4> <strong id="pub-cat-0">Security and Privacy</strong> <p> <a id="pub-cat-top-0-0" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics/security-and-privacy/security-programs-and-operations/patch-management">patch management</a>, <a id="pub-cat-top-0-1" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics/security-and-privacy/risk-management/vulnerability-management">vulnerability management</a> </p> <strong id="pub-cat-1">Technologies</strong> <p> <a id="pub-cat-top-1-0" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics/technologies/software-firmware">software & firmware</a> </p> <strong id="pub-cat-2">Applications</strong> <p> <a id="pub-cat-top-2-0" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics/applications/enterprise">enterprise</a> </p> <strong id="pub-cat-3">Laws and Regulations</strong> <p> <a id="pub-cat-top-3-0" href="/web/20231004203617/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics/laws-and-regulations/executive-documents/executive-order-14028">Executive Order 14028</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer-pusher"></div> </div> <footer id="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6"> <span class="hidden-xs"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203617/https://www.nist.gov/" title="National Institute of Standards and Technology" rel="home" target="_blank" class="footer-nist-logo" id="footer-nist-logo-link"> <img src="/web/20231004203617im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/nist-logo-brand-white.svg" alt="National Institute of Standards and Technology logo" id="footer-nist-logo"/> </a> </span> <div class="row 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SP 1800-31, Improving Enterprise Patching for General IT Systems: Utilizing Existing Tools and Performing Processes in Better Ways | CSRC