International Business Machines Corporation

Robert Maier

Jason Allan Nikolai

Steven Ocepek

Johnny A Shaieb

Jason Bornheimer

Michael Redford

Christopher Bedell

Seth Grey Glasgow

A computer-implemented method for prioritizing exclusion renewal records is disclosed. The computer-implemented method includes determining vulnerability factors associated with a vulnerability exclusion record. The computer-implemented method further includes generating a vulnerability factor score for each vulnerability factor associated with the vulnerability exclusion record based, at least in part, on a level of risk associated with the vulnerability factor. The computer-implemented method further includes generating a vulnerability score for the vulnerability exclusion record based, at least in part, on the vulnerability factor score for each vulnerability factor. The computer-implemented method further includes updating a previous vulnerability score of the vulnerability exclusion record.

Dynamic prioritization of vulnerability exclusion renewals

The subject matter herein provides an automated system and method for software patch management that ranks patches at least in part according to a score indicative of a complexity (e.g., cost) of remediating a vulnerability. This score is sometimes referred to herein as a vulnerability remediation complexity (VRC) score. A VRC score provides an objective measure by which an organization can determine which patches are most likely to be successfully applied, thus enabling implementation of a patching strategy that preferentially applies most critical, but less impact (in terms of remediation cost) patches first to remediate as must risk as possible as quickly as possible. Thus, for example, the approach herein enables the patching to focus on vulnerabilities of highest severity and small remediation cost over those, for example, representing lower severity and higher remediation cost.

Vulnerability remediation complexity (VRC) system

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Milliken, CO, United States of America

Robert Maier