CIS Control 7.4: Automated Application Patch Management
Application vulnerabilities are a primary attack vector for breaches, yet many SMBs manually manage patches—creating dangerous gaps. CIS Control 7.4 requires automated monthly (or more frequent) patch management to eliminate this risk at scale. This control is essential for reducing your attack surface and demonstrating security maturity to customers and auditors.
What this means
CIS Control 7.4 mandates that organizations deploy automated systems to apply security updates and patches to all enterprise applications on a monthly basis or more frequently. This means eliminating manual, ad-hoc patching workflows and instead using centralized patch management tools that automatically inventory applications, test patches, and deploy them across your infrastructure with minimal human intervention. The goal is to close security gaps before attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities.
How to comply
- 1.Select and implement a centralized patch management solution that covers all application types in your environment
- 2.Configure automated patch discovery to identify available updates for all installed applications monthly or more frequently
- 3.Establish testing protocols in a staging environment before deploying patches to production
- 4.Schedule automated patch deployment windows that minimize business disruption
- 5.Monitor and log all patch deployments to maintain audit trails and evidence of compliance
- 6.Define escalation procedures for critical and zero-day patches requiring faster deployment
- 7.Review patch management reports monthly to ensure coverage and identify any unpatched assets
Evidence auditors look for
- Patch management tool configuration showing monthly scan schedules
- Automated deployment logs with timestamps for all applied patches
- Asset inventory reports showing patch status across applications
- Policy documentation defining patch deployment frequency and timelines
- Testing and staging environment records prior to production deployment
- Monthly compliance reports confirming patch application rates
- Incident response records for critical patches deployed outside normal windows
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
GRCWatch automates application patch inventory discovery and tracks deployment status across your infrastructure, generating monthly compliance evidence reports that prove CIS 7.4 adherence without manual tracking.
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