NIST to Develop Enterprise Software Patching Guide, Seeks Collaborators

The National Institute of Standards and Technology aims to promote greater cybersecurity hygiene at different organizations by developing a guide for deploying software security patches with the help of input from the academe or industry.

The NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence on Thursday invited partners to collaborate with the agency on the Critical Cybersecurity Hygiene: Patching the Enterprise Building Block by providing technical expertise or solutions to address the challenges posed by the need to patch mission-critical software at the enterprise level.

The NCCoE says that patching software is one of the best ways to enhance an organization’s cybersecurity but deploying patches presents “difficult decisions” especially in light of the need to “balance security with mission impact and business objectives”.

Through the Building Block, the NCCoE plans to release an NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide containing a reference design that will help users enhance their software patching practices.

Parties who wish to work on the project need to submit a letter of interest to the NCCoE.