# CIS 7.3 — Perform Automated Operating System Patch Management

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_gen_cis_73_4dc541706f-cis-73-perform-automated-operating-system-patch-management
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [AWS Checks New Version](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112673) › [Protect](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/f_gen_62000112673_protect)
- Last updated: 2026-05-30
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

CIS · Control 7.3 · Priority: critical · Component: Protect

### What this control covers

Perform operating system updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.

### Why it matters

Risk is the language an executive team understands; this control connects technical reality to board-level decisions and budget allocation.

### How to implement

#### AWS

Codify the policy intent as **SCPs, AWS Config conformance packs, and Security Hub standards** so the cloud enforces what the document says.

#### Azure

Codify in **Azure Policy initiatives** (built-in regulatory compliance for CIS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA) and assign at management-group level.

#### GCP

**Org Policy Service** for guardrails and **Config Validator** in CI to pre-check Terraform plans against policy as code (Rego).

#### GitHub

**Dependabot** security updates + version updates, plus **CodeQL** for SAST and a renovate bot for major-version drift management.

#### On-premises

Maintain a policy library with a documented review cadence (annual minimum); store in your GRC tool with attestation tracking. Map each policy to controls so an audit pull cites the exact policy clause.

### Evidence to collect

-   `infra_scan` — See the iCompaas Evidence library for the canonical source for this evidence type.

Infrastructure posture tooling (AWS Config, Azure Policy, Nessus) verifies platform hardening. Focus: Perform Automated Operating System Patch Management.

### Quick checklist

-   Perform — Network / Enterprise
-   Protect — Network / Enterprise

### Related articles on this site

-   [Microsoft Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000234105-microsoft-cloud-security-posture-management-cspm-)
-   [Ensure that Microsoft Defender for Cloud is Configured to Check VM Operating Systems for Updates (Automated)](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000234112-ensure-that-microsoft-defender-for-cloud-is-configured-to-check-vm-operating-systems-for-updates-aut)
-   [Enable frequent system updates and scans configured](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000229687-enable-frequent-system-updates-and-scans-configured)
-   [Enable frequent system updates and scans configured](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000229688-enable-frequent-system-updates-and-scans-configured)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.