1.3 - CompTIA Security+

Change approval process

A formal procedure for requesting, reviewing, and authorizing changes, including a change request, change scope, risks, implementation time, and a backout plan.

Ownership

Refers to the individual or entity responsible for making a change, who may own the process but does not perform the actual change work.

Stakeholders

Individuals impacted by a change who seek input on the change management process.

Impact analysis

A process used to determine the risks associated with making or not making a change.

Test results

Results from testing a potential change in a sandbox environment to assess its effects on corporate systems.

Backout plan

A contingency plan designed to restore a system to its previous state if a new deployment causes issues.

Maintenance window

A specified time period during which system updates or fixes can be performed.

Standard operating procedure

A set of step-by-step instructions for carrying out routine operations efficiently and consistently.

Technical implications

The implications of the change management process from the technician’s perspective.

Allow lists/deny lists

Lists used to control access by specifying which users or systems are permitted (allow list) or prohibited (deny list).

Restricted activities

Actions permitted within the change approval scope, documented and approved.

Downtime

Periods when systems are unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or other approved changes. For 24×7 environments, try to switch to a secondary system, upgrade the primary system, then switch back.

Service restart

The process of stopping or restarting a service or daemon.

Application restart

The process of closing an application and launching a new instance.

Legacy applications

Older applications that may not be compatible with modern systems and environments.

Dependencies

Requirements for technicians to install updates related to other systems or libraries.

Documentation

Written guidelines outlining changes, including their scope, dependencies, and backout plans.

Updating diagrams

Ensuring diagrams correspond to recent changes.

Updating policies/procedures

Reviewing and refining procedures to align with updated systems.

Version control

Tracking changes to a file or configuration over time, allowing for easy reversion to previous settings.