The Scenario
A SA financial services firm has been deploying Windows updates manually and inconsistently. Some endpoints are months behind on critical patches; other patches were rolled out and broke a key line-of-business application. The CIO wants a documented patch management policy and schedule.
The Brief
Produce a patch management policy and operational schedule. Cover OS patches, application patches, and firmware. Address the trade-off between speed (security) and stability (avoiding breakage).
Deliverables
- A patch policy document covering: severity tiers (Emergency, Critical, Standard, Optional), the SLA for each tier, the testing requirement, and the rollback criteria
- An operational schedule showing the monthly cycle: patch release day, test ring, pilot ring, production rings, and the exception process
- A communications template covering pre-patch user notifications and post-patch confirmation messaging
- A short risk-and-exception section listing the criteria for delaying a patch and who must approve the exception
Submission Guidance
No patch policy survives the first time a patch breaks the ERP. Build the policy with that day in mind: a defensible rollback path, a fast exception route, and a clear test ring before production.
Submit Your Work
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