Overview
This policy defines the mandatory requirements for identifying, classifying, and remediating technical vulnerabilities across all IT assets. It ensures flaws are addressed in a timely, risk-based manner through coordinated patching and compensating controls, aligning with ISO 27001:2022 and DORA.
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Reduce Your Attack Surface: Systematically identify and remediate vulnerabilities across all systems, from endpoints and servers to cloud platforms.
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Prioritize with Risk-Based SLAs: Classify vulnerabilities using CVSS and enforce strict remediation deadlines (e.g., 72 hours for critical flaws) based on business risk.
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Integrate with Change Management: Ensure all patching activities are tested, approved, and documented through a formal change control process to maintain system stability.
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Satisfy Compliance Requirements: Meet the stringent vulnerability management requirements of ISO 27001:2022, NIS2, DORA, and NIST.
Read Full Overview
The Vulnerability and Patch Management Policy is a comprehensive framework designed to fortify an organization's cybersecurity posture. It outlines mandatory requirements for the identification, classification, remediation, and monitoring of vulnerabilities in information systems. This policy is essential for ensuring that all known vulnerabilities are addressed promptly, aligning with business needs and compliance obligations. By integrating standardized processes for vulnerability scanning and patch management, it supports secure configuration management and enhances audit readiness.
What’s Inside
Purpose and Scope
Roles and Responsibilities
Vulnerability Register & Remediation SLAs
Policy Implementation Requirements
Scanning and Patching Procedures
Risk Treatment and Exceptions
Enforcement and Compliance
Built for Leaders, By Leaders
This policy was authored by a security leader with 25+ years of experience deploying and auditing ISMS frameworks for global enterprises. It's designed not just to be a document, but a defensible framework that stands up to auditor scrutiny.
Framework Compliance
🛡️ Supported Standards & Frameworks
This product is aligned with the following compliance frameworks, with detailed clause and control mappings.
| Framework | Covered Clauses / Controls |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | Clause 8.1 |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 | Controls 8.8, 8.9, 5.23 |
| NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5 | RA-5, SI-2, CM-2, CM-6 |
| EU GDPR | Article 32, Recital 49 |
| EU NIS2 | Article 21(2)(d) |
| EU DORA | Articles 8, 10(2)(f) |
| COBIT 2019 | DSS05.02, DSS01.03, MEA03 |
Part of a Complete ISMS Toolkit
This policy is one of 37 documents in our complete toolkit. When implemented as a set, our framework helps you achieve comprehensive compliance across major standards.
100%
ISO 27001:2022
95%
NIST
88%
NIS2
75%
DORA
70%
GDPR
Related Policies
Information Security Policy (P1)
Establishes the commitment to protect systems, which includes managing vulnerabilities.
Change Management Policy (P5)
Governs all patch deployments, requiring testing, approval, and rollback planning.
Risk Management Policy (P6)
Supports the classification and treatment of unremediated vulnerabilities.
Asset Management Policy (P12)
Ensures systems are inventoried, enabling complete vulnerability scan coverage.
Incident Response Policy (P30)
Specifies escalation protocols for incidents arising from exploited vulnerabilities.
Application Security Requirements Policy (P25)
Designed to prevent vulnerabilities and protect sensitive data across the application lifecycle.
IoT-OT Security Policy P-35
Designed to protect physical infrastructure and safety-critical environments.
About This Policy
The Clarysec Vulnerability and Patch Management Policy provides the formal structure required to systematically reduce your organization's attack surface. It addresses the complete lifecycle—from discovery and classification to remediation and verification—in alignment with ISO 27001:2022 Annex A control 8.8. The policy mandates specific, risk-based timelines for patching, ensuring that critical vulnerabilities are addressed within hours, not weeks.
By implementing this policy, you create a defensible, auditable process for managing technical flaws across your entire IT estate. It requires integration with change management, ensuring stability, and defines clear roles for accountability. This is essential for preventing breaches caused by known but unpatched vulnerabilities and for demonstrating due diligence to regulators under frameworks like DORA and NIS2.
