Requirement Details & Guidance
VUL-004-R002 · VUL-004Why This Requirement Exists
The organization shall identify patches required for systems, applications, and infrastructure components based on vendor notifications, security advisories, and vulnerability assessments. Identification shall include monitoring of vendor patch releases and security bulletins.
Implementation Guidance
Severity alone does not represent business risk; exploitability, asset criticality, exposure, and business impact affect remediation priority.
Practical Application & Audit Readiness
VUL-004-R002 · Field GuidanceBusiness Examples
Use a documented risk model, incorporate threat intelligence and business context, and review priorities as conditions change.
Common Audit Findings
Combine severity with asset criticality, exposure, exploit availability, threat intelligence, business impact, and compensating controls to prioritize remediation.
Common Mistakes
CVSS-only prioritization; critical business assets treated the same as low-impact assets; known exploited issues not elevated.
Best Practices & Ownership
VUL-004 · Recommended ApproachRecommended Practices
Using severity scores as the sole decision factor or allowing risk ratings to become stale.
Typical Owner
A critical internet-facing payment system vulnerability is prioritized ahead of a higher-scoring issue on an isolated test server.
Cross-Mapped Regulatory Frameworks
Harmonized Control Mappings| FRAMEWORK CODE | FRAMEWORK NAME & DETAILS | FAMILY / CATEGORY | VERSION | ACTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS-V8 | CIS Controls CIS Controls are a prioritized set of cybersecurit... Clause: Control 07 – Continuous Vulnerability Management: 7.3 – Perform Automated Operating System Patch Management |
CIS
Best Practice
|
vv8 | View → |
| DORA | Digital Operational Resilience Act The EU Digital Operational Resilience Act establis... Clause: Article 9(4)(e) – ICT change management: recording, testing, assessing, approving, implementing and verifying changes Article 9(4)(f) – Documented policies for patches and updates |
EU
Regulation
|
vCurrent | View → |
| GDPR | General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The General Data Protection Regulation is a bindin... Clause: Article 32(1) – Security of processing; Article 32(1)(d) – Testing, assessing and evaluating security measures |
EU
Regulation
|
vCurrent | View → |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA is a U.S. federal law supported by implement... Clause: § 164.308(a)(4) Standard: Patch management |
US
Law
|
vCurrent | View → |
| IRDAI | IRDAI Information & Cyber Security Guidelines IRDAI information and cyber-security requirements... Clause: §2.6-3.2 – Patch Management |
India
Guideline
|
vLatest | View → |
| ISO27002 | ISO/IEC 27002 ISO/IEC 27002 is a guidance standard containing a... Clause: 8.8 – Management of technical vulnerabilities |
ISO
Standard
|
v2022 | View → |
| NIS2 | NIS2 Directive The NIS2 Directive establishes EU-wide cybersecuri... Clause: Article 21(2)(e) – Security in network and information systems acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling and disclosure |
EU
Directive
|
vCurrent | View → |
| NIST-CSF | NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides high-lev... Clause: ID.RA – Risk Assessment | ID.RA-01 – Vulnerabilities in assets are identified, validated, and recorded |
NIST
Framework
|
v2 | View → |
| NIST80053 | NIST SP 800-53 NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 presents control families, i... Clause: 3.16 – RISK ASSESSMENT; RA-5 – VULNERABILITY MONITORING AND SCANNING |
NIST
Control Catalog
|
vRev. 5 | View → |
| NPCI-ISR | NPCI Information Security Requirements NPCI information-security requirements define cont... Clause: Security Measures / Controls; Application Security – Hardening and Patching |
India
Standard
|
vLatest | View → |
| PCI-DSS | PCI DSS PCI DSS is an industry security standard maintaine... Clause: 6.3.3 – All system components are protected from |
PCI
Standard
|
v4 | View → |
| RBI-CSF | RBI Cyber Security Framework / Master Directions RBI cyber-security requirements and directions set... Clause: 7) Patch/Vulnerability & Change Management – 7.1 Risk-based patch inventory, identification and application to minimise exposure; 7) Patch/Vulnerability & Change Management – 7.2 Identify, track, manage and monitor patch status; 2) Preventing execution of unauthorised software – 2.3 Patch monitoring and expedited/emergency patching |
India
Regulation
|
vLatest | View → |
| SEBI-CSCRF | SEBI Cyber Security & Cyber Resilience Framework SEBI’s Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framewor... Clause: 4.1 DE.CM: Security Continuous Monitoring; 2.2 ID.RA: Risk Assessment |
India
Regulation
|
vLatest | View → |
| SOC2 | SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria SOC 2 is an independent examination and reporting... Clause: CC8.1 – Change Management – The entity authorizes, designs, develops or acquires, configures, documents, tests, approves, and implements changes to infrastructure, data, software, and procedures to meet its objectives. CC7.1 – System Operations – To meet its objectives, the entity uses detection and monitoring procedures to identify (1) changes to configurations that result in the introduction of new vulnerabilities, and (2) susceptibilities to newly discovered vulnerabilities. |
AICPA
Audit Framework
|
vLatest | View → |
Parent Domain Context
Governance Domain BaselineDomain Name:
Vulnerability & Patch Management (VUL)
Purpose:
To identify, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities and patch known security flaws.
Scope:
Enterprise
Parent Control Context
Control BaselineControl Name:
Vulnerability Intelligence (VUL-004)
Summary:
Establishes vulnerability intelligence including source management, collection, analysis, validation, dissemination, integration, and continuous improvement for vulnerability information.
Business Description:
Establish and maintain processes to incorporate threat intelligence, exploit intelligence, vendor advisories, and emerging vulnerability information into vulnerability management activities.