What is Patch Management?

Patch management is the process of keeping software up-to-date by installing updates called patches in order to address security vulnerabilities and close them timely, add new features, fix bugs, and improve the overall performance of software and devices. The process itself includes finding, installing, and testing updates for endpoint operating systems, applications, and devices across an organization’s network. With the main purpose to ensure that systems run smoothly, error-free, and most importantly, eliminate every vulnerability that can lead to launched cyberattacks.

Despite all the advantages the patching process provides, it has one major downside: interrupting workflows, leading to downtime for organizations while installing the new updates. Nowadays, patch management service providers develop approaches aiming to minimize that downtime by streamlining patch deployment, because we live in a digital world where every single minute your organization is not functioning for one or another reason is measured in potential loss of revenue.

Why is patch management important?

Patch management is fundamental for organizations of all sizes and types. Nowadays, where cyber threats are constantly increasing and becoming more destructive day by day, keeping your software and systems up-to-date is not a necessity—it’s essential for survival. Having effective patch management is pivotal for every company, providing it with enhanced security and boosted productivity.

What are the benefits of patch management?

Patch management is responsible for improving the security posture of your organization, preventing cyberattacks through timely addressing of software vulnerabilities, providing bug fixes and feature updates, and last but not least, minimizing downtime. Let’s dive deeper into exploring the benefits it provides by mentioning the most important ones:

Security patches

First and foremost, security patch management is your business frontline defense against cybercriminals. It is a well-known fact that hackers constantly seek for vulnerabilities in software to exploit, and patches are designed specifically to close these security gaps in order to intercept every possibility for becoming hackers next victim. By promptly applying updates, organizations have the opportunity to significantly reduce the risk of facing data breaches, being infected with malware, minimizing security risks, and the chance of experiencing any type of cyberattack.

Bug fixes

Beyond security, patch management tools provide you with bug fix patches, ensuring that systems run smoothly and efficiently. Updates often include system performance improvements and bug fixes that result in enhanced productivity, ensuring fewer system crashes, faster operations, and, of course, higher client satisfaction.

Feature updates

Patching isn’t just about fixing bugs and vulnerability management; it is a gateway to new and advanced features. Software updates include new features that are able to boost your organization’s productivity and expand capabilities.

These new features can range from minor to significant upgrades, such as new tools in design software or AI-powered suggestions automating different processes, previously known as time-consuming and exhausting. Furthermore, feature updates often improve user interfaces and accessibility, resulting in increased efficiency and a better user experience.

Minimized downtime

Despite the fact that it requires initial investments to be made, effective patch management software can prevent costly downtime and reduce the resources needed for incident response when security breaches occur.

What are the most common challenges of patch management?

Patch management is crucial for every organization because it ensures that every endpoint is secured and efficient, but this process comes with its own set of challenges that can make deploying patches difficult.

As every business owner knows, buggy patches are the biggest problem in the patch management process. Unfortunately, in such cases, a particular patch can cause problems that didn’t exist before, causing unexpected errors. Not all updated versions play nicely with existing software configurations, which can lead to serious consequences like system instability or even downtime.

For that reason, many organizations are being hesitant to apply patches immediately, leading to a dangerous gap between when critical vulnerabilities are discovered and when they’re addressed. For that reason, administrators must test particular patches on a pilot group of endpoints before deploying them in order to avoid unpleasant scenarios like downtime.

Another challenge is the inability to find a suitable window for patching an organization system because some companies require 24/7 uptime; on the other hand, patch installation often requires operating system reboots, which of course are disruptive to business operations. Balancing security needs with operational demands proves tricky. Situations like these require careful planning in order to minimize downtime.

Next in line is the problem that offline endpoints might not be updated timely, meaning that there will be a time gap between that endpoint being connected back to the network and its successful update installation.

Some organizations find solutions to this problem by creating standalone patch management instead of relying on a centralized one. On the other hand, a reliable vendor can offer automated patching of these endpoints as soon as they connect back to the network, which solves that problem entirely.

As we already know, unpatched systems are the main target of the cybercriminals because they can easily penetrate an endpoint through its known vulnerabilities. Becoming a victim of such an attack leads to serious consequences like malware infection, ransomware, data exfiltration, and data corruption, which are every business owner’s biggest fear.

Compatibility issues with legacy systems or custom software are another main reason for the complicated patch management process. Why is that? Because older applications commonly are not supporting the latest updates, which forces organizations of all sizes to make hard choices between security and functionality. This often results in some systems remaining unpatched and vulnerable to known software bugs.

One of the biggest hurdles in the patch management process is the sheer volume of software patches released across various systems and applications. It is a well-known fact that IT teams often find themselves overwhelmed by the constant flow of updates, making it a mission impossible to keep up without falling behind on missing patches. This is compounded by the complexity of modern IT organization environments, which often include a mix of on-premises, cloud-based, and hybrid systems, each requiring different approaches to the patch management process.

Last but not least, resource constraints pose another obstacle. Many organizations lack dedicated IT staff or tools for effective patch management, leading to ad hoc processes that later become reasons for errors and oversights. This challenge often applies for smaller businesses that don’t have robust IT teams to manage and address software bugs and critical vulnerabilities.

In order to overcome these challenges, organizations must have a strategic approach involving careful planning and robust tools. Addressing these hurdles head-on, businesses will have the opportunity to create a more secure and efficient IT environment that effectively manages software patches and critical vulnerabilities. Which is extremely important not only to fix bugs and add new features but also to keep cybercriminals away.

How do you implement a patch management process in your enterprise?

One thing is for sure: implementing a robust patch management process in your organization is fundamental in order to maintain robust security and operational efficiency, leading to improved overall results. At the beginning of the process, assess your current IT infrastructure by identifying all systems, applications, and devices that require regular updates.

Next, you have to establish a clear policy that outlines patch priorities, schedules, and responsibilities. Keep in mind that critical security vulnerabilities should be a main priority, but remember that performance improvements and feature upgrades are equally important.

Investing in a reliable patch management tool that can automate the whole process is a must for organizations of all sizes. We have to emphasize the fact that such tools are priceless because they are constantly monitoring your network for vulnerabilities, downloading patches, deploying patches to multiple systems simultaneously, adding new and advanced features, and providing you real-time visibility over every single process.

Nowadays, automation in patch management is critical because it reduces human errors, eliminates the time-consuming process of manually installing every single patch, and ensures consistent application of updates.

Furthermore, before rolling out patches enterprise-wide, it is mandatory to set up a test environment that mirrors your systems. Thus, your IT team will be able to identify potential conflicts or any type of issue before affecting your entire organization. A good practice is to start with a pilot group of endpoints, or first update non-critical systems, and then proceed with the rollout through every endpoint in your system.

It is absolutely mandatory to implement a patch management system for tracking patch status across your network. Keep in mind that the best patch management tools have such built-in features. Real-time visibility allows you to quickly identify systems that are currently out of date or vulnerable, thus you will have the opportunity to prioritize your efforts.

Don’t forget about remote devices and cloud-based services. It is fundamental to ensure your patch management strategy covers all corners of your digital ecosystem, including employee laptops and third-party software.

Regular audits of your patch management process are another key aspect to consider. Review logs and assess the effectiveness of your patching schedule; this information will provide you with the ability to continually refine and improve your approach.

Keep in mind that regularly training your IT teams on the latest patching techniques and staying informed about emerging threats and security vulnerabilities is essential.

Patch Management Lifecycle

The patch management lifecycle is the process of identifying, testing, deploying, and verifying software patches and updates on computing endpoints. Making it extremely important for every organization because it guarantees that your endpoints are protected against a variety of known software vulnerabilities, bugs, and security threats. Keeping your devices up-to-date is critical for maintaining business continuity and uninterrupted processes. The patch management lifecycle consists of several key stages:

• Identification: Organizations identify all assets in their network that require patching.

• Assessment: IT teams have to evaluate available patches and prioritize them based on the severity of vulnerabilities and potential impact on business operations.

• Patch Testing: Patches are applied in a controlled environment to ensure they don’t cause conflicts, bugs, or disrupt existing systems.

• Deployment: Patches are rolled out across the organization, often in stages to minimize risk.

• Verification: This stage ensures patches were successfully installed and are functioning as expected.

• Reporting: The results of the patching process are documented for compliance purposes and to refine future strategies.

• Maintenance: An ongoing process of monitoring for new patches, assessing current patch status, and restarting the cycle when necessary.

Be aware that the patch management lifecycle is not a one-time process; it is a continuous cycle. Why is that? Because vulnerabilities are discovered on a daily basis and then particular patches are released in order to fix them. For that reason, every organization is obligated to repeat these steps for maintaining a secure and efficient IT environment that has the right approach and capabilities to address all new vulnerabilities.

Best Practices for Patch Management

Patch management is a tedious and time-consuming process for every organization, but it is one of the most important aspects to take care of because neglecting it can expose your company at risk for cyberattacks and data breaches. On the other hand, if you are aware of its importance and provide your company with a reliable and effective patch management solution that is able to automate as many processes as possible, it will save you a lot of headaches, preventing cybercriminals from exploiting known vulnerabilities leading to serious consequences for your organization.

Making a choice whether to neglect it or put maximum efforts on it will define the destiny of your organization. Let’s dive deeper into the world of patch management best practices that are able to make your company secure, efficient, and most importantly, successful.

Know your company’s patching needs

Establishing a comprehensive patch management process that covers all systems and applications in your network is vital; it is critical to focus on patch prioritization based on the severity of security vulnerabilities they address.

Do not underestimate third-party patches

Patching your OS doesn’t mean that all vulnerabilities are covered. Why is that? Because 60–70% of them come from unpatched third-party applications. Checking for updates for these applications that your organization commonly uses is fundamental. Automated tools can make your life a lot easier dealing with that process instead of executing it manually.

Invest in reliable patch management software

Such software equips your organization with capabilities to monitor your network, identify missing patches, and deploy them automatically. It is a well-known fact that automation streamlines patch management processes and improves accuracy, saving your IT teams a lot of headaches and providing them with the opportunity to focus on other critical tasks.

Create a testing environment

Always start with a test environment before rolling out updates to your endpoints. This helps minimize the risk of unexpected bugs and downtime. Testing patches on a pilot group of endpoints before installing them across your entire network is always a great decision. Some companies prefer to build a virtual test environment where they can test patches; this could be a single computer or cloud service replicating the production environment.

Create standard and emergency patching procedures

Establishing clear policies and procedures both for standard and emergency patching is a must for every self-respecting organization in order to respond quickly when critical vulnerabilities are discovered. Keep in mind that emergency patches must be installed separately from the windows established for regularly scheduled patching. Additionally, before initiating any patch deployment, it’s crucial to create system backups or image snapshots. This precautionary measure allows for quick recovery if complications arise during the update process.

Implement a risk-based approach

Prioritize patches based on their potential impact on your organization’s security and operations.

Deploy patches as soon as possible

Your company cannot afford even a day’s delay in deploying available patches because the longer you wait, the greater the chance to become a cybercriminal’s next victim. Nowadays, hackers are aware of the security vulnerabilities that newly released patches address, so they will actively search for unpatched systems.

Rollout carefully

Start rolling out patches to less critical systems. If everything works without any disruptions and as expected, proceed with the rollout through every endpoint in your system.

Schedule patch deployment hours wisely

Larger patches can impact your system performance, so it is mandatory to plan accordingly and schedule these updates during off-peak hours when possible.

Review and refine your patch management processes

Regularly review and refine your patch management policies and processes in order to ensure they remain effective against all types of cyber threats.

System for tracking and reporting

Equipping your organization with a system for tracking and reporting on patching status will provide enhanced visibility and ensure compliance.

Automate where possible

It is a well-known fact that manual patch management is a time-consuming and overwhelming process. Thankfully, nowadays high-quality tools have the ability to automate patch management, which is a real game-changer for every organization around the world, no matter its size. Automation can streamline endpoint security and maintain robust software systems; this approach has improved and revolutionized the entire patching process by automatically discovering, deploying, and verifying the software patches. Unlike manual patch management, which is time-consuming and error-prone, automation solutions effectively simplify this process by making it faster, easier, and error-free.

Patch automation is known for providing the following critical benefits:

Minimized manual work: IT teams are allowed to focus on other critical tasks rather than executing this whole process manually.

Enhanced security posture: Automated patch management reduces the window of vulnerability between the time a particular patch is released and its implementation.

Improved productivity: This advanced approach minimizes disruptions to employees productivity. A core strength of patch automation is the capability to schedule patch deployment during off-hours; after completing the installation of the updates, reboots are made automatically, meaning that the software functionality remains available during business hours.

Reporting capabilities: Another key advantage is the comprehensive reporting capabilities. They provide real-time visibility over the patching status across the network, ensuring that every organization maintains compliance with industry regulations and internal security policies.

While patch management focuses primarily on security, automated solutions provide the opportunity to improve software functionality and overall performance by ensuring that all of your organization’s systems are up-to-date and with the latest features and improvements offered by the software vendors.

How do I choose the right patch management software?

Nowadays, finding a reliable patch management solution is not an easy task because there are countless vendors offering their services on the market. Despite that fact, we will now discuss the most important aspects to consider in order to make the best choice that meets your organization’s needs and requirements.

• Automatic patch real-time assessment and vulnerability discovery: Look for patch management software that provides automatic real-time assessment and detection of outdated systems. Furthermore, such tools have the capabilities to schedule and automate patch deployments, which is a blessing for every organization.

• Reporting and analytics: A reliable patch management tool must provide you with detailed reporting and analytics, which are essential in order to track patching status and identify potential issues. Real-time visibility into the patching process across the entire network helps organizations not only to identify potential issues but also maintain compliance with industry regulations and internal security policies.

• OS and third-party patching: Operating system support is critical. When you choose the right vendor for patch management, ensure that it is able to cover all the operating systems used in your organization’s environment, whether it’s Windows, macOS, Linux, or a mix of them. Look for a patch management solution that is able to handle the updates for a wide range of third-party applications, not just OS patches.

• Software certifications: It is mandatory to choose a vendor for patch management solutions that has relevant industry certifications, such as SOC2 (data protection) and ISO 27001 (information security management), because this is a guarantee of the software’s quality and reliability.

• Regulatory Compliance: Another key factor to consider, especially in case your organization operates in a regulated industry. The software must help you meet relevant compliance requirements, such as HIPPA or PCI DSS.

Other factors to consider include:

• Scalability: Can the software grow with your organization?

• User interface: Is it easy to use and navigate?

• Integration capabilities: Does it work well with your existing IT management tools?

• Support and documentation: Is there good customer support and comprehensive documentation available?

• Cost: Does the pricing model fit your budget and offer good value for the features provided?

If you find a vendor that is able to provide you with all of the above, you will know that this patch management solution software not only meets your needs but also supports your organization’s growth and security requirements. Remember, finding the right service provider is not an easy task, but when found, it will save you time, improve your security posture, and help maintain compliance, making it a valuable investment.

Action1 is the only Patch Management Software you will ever need!

Action1 reinvents patching with an infinitely scalable, highly secure, cloud-native platform configurable in 5 minutes — it just works and is always free for the first 100 endpoints, with no functional limits. Featuring unified OS and third-party patching with peer-to-peer patch distribution and real-time vulnerability assessment with no VPN needed, it enables autonomous endpoint management that preempts ransomware and security risks, all while eliminating costly routine labor. Trusted by thousands of enterprises managing millions of endpoints globally, Action1 is certified for SOC 2 and ISO 27001.

The company is founder-led by industry veterans Alex Vovk and Mike Walters, who founded Netwrix, which has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry-leading cybersecurity company.