Full Answer Section

The following segments or functional groups within the organization use Windows:

• Software development
• Quality assurance
• Sales and marketing
• Customer support

The following segments or functional groups within the organization use Linux or MacOSX:

• Software development
• Research and development
• Information technology

Plans for maintaining the security of those platforms

The company’s security plan for its mixed operating system environment includes the following:

Scheduling

Patches are deployed on a monthly schedule, with the following exceptions:

• Critical patches are deployed immediately.
• Security patches are deployed within 72 hours.
• Non-critical patches are deployed within one week.

Testing of patches prior to deployment

All patches are tested in a sandbox environment before being deployed to production systems. The testing process includes the following steps:

1. The patch is installed on a test system.
2. The system is tested to ensure that it is still functional after the patch is installed.
3. The system is scanned for vulnerabilities to ensure that the patch has been applied correctly.

Change management

All changes to the company’s IT infrastructure are managed through a formal change management process. The change management process includes the following steps:

1. The change is submitted for approval.
2. The change is reviewed by a team of stakeholders.
3. The change is approved or rejected.
4. If the change is approved, it is implemented according to a plan.
5. The change is tested to ensure that it was implemented correctly.

Tools

The company uses the following tools to maintain the security of its mixed operating system environment:

• A patch management tool to automate the deployment of patches.
• A vulnerability scanner to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
• A security information and event management (SIEM) tool to monitor and analyze security events.
• A firewall to protect networks from unauthorized access.
• An intrusion detection system (IDS) to detect and respond to intrusions.

Conclusion

By following these security best practices, the company can help to protect its mixed operating system environment from cyberattacks.