Which of the following is NOT a required action for patch management?

The correct choice highlights that sharing patches with all employees is not a required action for patch management under the NERC CIP standards. Patch management primarily focuses on ensuring that the systems and applications critical to the reliability of the bulk electric system are up-to-date with the latest security patches to mitigate vulnerabilities. This includes actions such as applying patches promptly, creating or revising mitigation strategies to address new vulnerabilities, and documenting timeframes for completion of patch implementations.

The necessity of applying patches promptly is to minimize the window of exposure to potential threats, while documenting timeframes is crucial for tracking compliance and operational adherence. Creating or revising mitigation plans ensures that there are strategies in place if a patch cannot be applied immediately. However, sharing patches with all employees does not align with the security-sensitive nature of patch management processes, as it could lead to unintentional distribution of sensitive information and increase risk exposure, rather than enhance security.