Linux Patch Management: The Ultimate Guide
Linux
Patch Management: The Ultimate Guide
What is Linux?
Linux is an open
source and free operating system. It was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and
is today maintained by The Linux Foundation. The basic objective of Linux is to
create a free operating system that is as secure and reliable as possible. This
is why all Linux users should be taking Linux patch management quite seriously,
because without it their systems are potentially open to exploits and
vulnerabilities and can potentially be compromised. Patching and security: What
is the Difference? Linux provides users with a stable and reliable operating
system that is more secure than the alternatives that they might be running.
Not only is Linux regularly patched for security issues, but the patches that
are released are available for all versions of Linux.
What are the benefits
of Linux?
Linux is an open-source
operating system. You can download and install it on a computer from any given
website. This provides several benefits. One of the major advantages is the
increased flexibility of customization. You can download the operating system
at your own convenience and install it on a computer or server. This is a very
convenient way to use the OS because it ensures that only the needed and
necessary software is installed on a particular machine. This eliminates the
need for unnecessary software installations. Another important advantage is the
ability of a Linux system to be easily customized. You can install and update
software on a computer by doing a manual patching. This provides a smooth and
hassle-free experience for the end-users.
What is patch
management?
You probably have an
idea of what patch management is, but let's go over some examples to better
understand what exactly it is. Let's assume, you have a large mobile
application development company that runs on Linux servers. You send out a new
version to your customers and the application is fully compatible with the
latest mobile platform. However, you then decide to make a few minor changes.
So, you work in conjunction with the Linux administrators and they push out a
new patch for the latest version. All is well, except there are still some apps
that are incompatible. You have been a professional development company and you
work hard to be compliant with all best practices, and all patches, no matter
how small, must be submitted.
How do I prevent a
security breach?
Before we move on, let
us clarify a few things about patch management. It is simply a routine
management activity that involves finding and applying patches to various
operating system components, such as network devices, devices, services,
applications, and even user accounts and services, among others. It includes
installing software upgrades, removing obsolete files and the regular
monitoring and maintenance of security holes. The security breaches that have
been occurring, such as the Equifax breach that was reported to have led to the
theft of sensitive personal information belonging to millions of people. It was
only through patches that Equifax was able to contain the damage.
How do I carry out a
patch assessment?
You can carry out a
patch assessment using a desktop tool or you can use your system
administrator's command line tools for the same. The former is usually used for
larger organizations whereas the latter is typically used for small- to
medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Step 1: Create a Linux patch assessment
baseline are imperative because they keep your systems up-to-date and secure.
They also determine whether patches are necessary to install. To get started,
you will first need to establish a baseline of your system's patching schedule
and patch readiness. This will be required to carry out a regular patch
assessment.
What is the right way
to patch a Linux system?
Each individual needs
to take the right approach for their requirements. Each solution is unique.
Desktop The most commonly used desktop solution is the package manager, dpkg.
dpkg (short for Dual Packager Program) is the command to manage the release and
distribution of application updates for Linux systems. It allows to identify
the packages which are already in the distribution and install them, or keep
them in a certain state and remove them from the system. To install updates on
the system, one should run a command like the following one to retrieve the
package list and search for updates to install. $ dpkg -l -s | grep update
Alternatively, if the system already has all the available updates, one can run
the command like the following to install them.
Conclusion
Linux is one of the
most popular Operating systems and with good reason. Linux has been around for
almost 20 years now and is available on many different platforms. It is
relatively secure and offers great flexibility in software applications, functions,
interfaces, and architectures. Linux is known for high performance, increased
scalability, and better I/O speeds. Linux is also renowned for the diversity
and adaptation of various software solutions that run on it.
