Auditing of Patch and Vulnerability Management

Effective patch and vulnerability processes are essential to enhance the cyber security resilience of a company. Patch management involves the distribution and application of updates to address defective code and security risks in IT assets. Alongside, vulnerability management focuses on identifying, and mitigating security weaknesses causing service disruptions. Both processes are interconnected and require a holistic evaluation to provide a reasonable assurance on control design and operating effectiveness.

Notably, patch and vulnerability management are often outsourced to service providers, leading to a limited internal expertise in these fields. The scarcity of in-house knowledge in these areas can present difficulties for auditors, seeking to thoroughly assess the internal controls.

This presentation aims to share first-hand experiences related to auditing of patch and vulnerability management, with a focus on raising awareness about common pitfalls, challenges, and observations. The ultimate purpose is to provide audit practitioners with insights into these critical areas and foster a structural approach when conducting audit engagements.

Lernziele

Sharing with audit practitioners my own auditing experiences in regard to patch und vulnerability management and raise the awareness about common pitfalls, challenges, findings and recommendations. Further, fostering a more comprehensive thinking and structural approach while auditing the patch and vulnerability management.