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Patch Management and How It Can Save Your Business

Posted on: May 7, 2021
Patch Management and How It Can Save Your Business

Software runs our lives. It certainly runs your business. What if I told you this essential cog in your business’s operations can also be the thing that is most susceptible to being exposed by outside attackers? It’s true, software can be the very door that hackers and scammers need to get into your network and run amok. Let’s take a look at the unsung service that is patch management and why it is so important.

For the first years of managed IT services, patch management was more of a value proposition than it was a crucial part of the offering. Today, the script has officially flipped and it is no longer perfunctory, but crucial. This is because threats have changed. In fact, they’ve changed for both the business and its IT service provider.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) use software known as Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools to cover all the ends of a business’s IT infrastructure and network. As the core software that allows MSPs to keep a watchful eye over their clients’ networks, MSPs were horrified to learn hackers with a keen eye for opportunity, hacked into unpatched RMM software and accessed not only that company’s information but other companies that were being managed by the platform. These hackers exploited these vulnerabilities and injected malware into all managed systems.

That’s just an anecdote, sure, but it goes to show what can happen if your software isn’t patched and updated properly.

Challenges of Patch Management in 2021

Managing software updates isn’t a very easy process anyway, but with all that has happened recently, patch management has become extremely difficult. With the growing complexities of remote workers, cloud platforms, the immense amount of software that an organization uses, and the rapid-fire updates being developed, it isn’t as simple as signing in and updating eight files once a month. You really have to stay on top of it to ensure that your network and infrastructure are properly protected.

A big challenge concerning patch management is downtime. When software is patched, systems typically need to reboot. This can be a hindrance to productivity if it is done while your team is working. Most MSPs won’t make people restart in the middle of the workday, but then they have to remember to reboot those machines when they are not in use. Forgetting this step is like not patching the system in the first place, so coordinating patches and reboots at a time when people aren’t working is its own challenge.

It’s a fact that most vulnerabilities that are exploited are over six months old. This tells you that somewhere along the way either patches and updates were overlooked, or they weren’t properly coordinated in the first place. Combine all that wrangling with the fact that sometimes patches simply don’t “play nice” with corresponding systems and cause more headaches and hand wringing and you have a complicated and often frustrating task list that is just a fraction of the MSP’s responsibilities.

Some MSP Patch Management Tips

Of course, the best way to get comprehensive patches and updates is to outsource your patch management to a managed services provider like Bmore Technology. Any business can save time and money by relying on our certified technicians to ensure your systems are up-to-date and patched correctly. Furthermore, we won’t cause any downtime as we will schedule patches for times when traffic is low or non-existent.

If you insist on doing your own software maintenance, a couple of tips that you should adhere to include:

  • Understand all the software your company is using officially and ensure you are up to date with all the relevant patches. Missing software updates is a horrible practice for any business.
  • Schedule maintenance on a select number of systems when official software updates are released. If there are no problems, deploy those updates to the remaining systems the following week. The test group will go a long way toward exposing any possible hiccups you may be facing.

Software is extremely important to your business, and your business is extremely important to your employees and customers. In order to keep it that way, you need to ensure your software systems are patched and updated regularly. To talk with us about patch management or managed IT services, give us a call at 866-554-8488.

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