6.3 Monitoring Patch Implementation

Patch and vulnerability metrics fall into three categories: susceptibility to attack, mitigation response time, and cost, which includes a metric for the business impact of program failures. The emphasis on patch and vulnerability metrics being taken for a system or IT security program should reflect the patch and vulnerability management maturity level. For example, attack susceptibility metrics such as the number of patches, vulnerabilities, and network services per system are generally more useful for a program with a low maturity level than a high maturity level. Organizations should document what metrics will be taken for each system and the details of each of those metrics. Realistic performance targets for each metric should be communicated to system owners and system security officers. Once these targets have been achieved, more ambitious targets can be set. It is important to carefully raise the bar on patch and vulnerability security to avoid overwhelming system security officers and system administrators.

Organizations should consistently measure the effectiveness of their patch and vulnerability management program and apply corrective actions as necessary.

For information on Patch Management monitoring tools, see the following: