What is Windows Patch Management: Everything You Need To Know

Software is a vital component in the success of any SaaS business. Without software of various kinds, it would be challenging to do anything efficiently or effectively. Unfortunately, any Windows software is also vulnerable to various security issues and bugs.

If left unpatched, these vulnerabilities can create entry points for hackers, leading to corporate data leakage and malware infiltration. Windows patch management ensures your Windows operating systems and applications don’t face security issues or fall prey to malicious third-party patches.

What is Windows Patch Management Process?

Windows patch management is the process, that involves updating or fixing Microsoft systems with patches designed specifically for Windows devices. These patches for Windows help to strengthen device security, safeguard against security threats, and ensure that software operates efficiently and reliably. Implementing patch management solution for Windows devices allows organizations to streamline the patch management process, reduce vulnerabilities, and maintain optimal system performance.

By prioritizing Windows patch management, businesses can enhance security and ensure their systems are up-to-date and running smoothly. These updates can include various types of improvements or fixes for the system, such as:

• Security Updates: Address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware or hackers, helping to protect the system from potential threats.

• Critical Updates: Fix specific, non-security-related bugs.

• Service Packs: Large collections of updates, fixes, and/or enhancements to a Windows operating system, released as a single package.

• Feature Updates: Provide new functionalities and enhancements to the operating system, improving usability, performance, and support for new types of hardware.

• Driver Updates: Improve the compatibility, stability, and performance of hardware components connected to the system.

What is Windows Patch Management Policy?

Windows patch management platform helps IT admins with the installation of updates, service packs, and hotfixes on a Windows-based computer system or any Microsoft device.

A Windows patch deployment policy is a set of guidelines that an organization or company uses to determine and apply patches to Windows systems. It is an automated process to keep your Microsoft devices up-to-date with the latest security patches and bug fixes.

Also read: What is Windows MDM Policy

Why is a Patch Management Policy Important?

Applying patch processes is crucial for various reasons like adding new features and fixing performance issues and security vulnerabilities. Hence, defining an effective patch management policy simplifies IT efforts to deploy timely software updates and patches, and it minimizes security risks.

Benefits of Patch Management in Windows

Efficient patch management of Windows updates offers significant advantages, improving system security and operational productivity. Consistent application of patches strengthens protection against cyber threats, ensures adherence to industry regulations, and boosts system functionality overall.

1. Improved Security

The primary advantage of a thorough Windows patch management strategy lies in bolstering system security. As the landscape of cybersecurity threats continuously evolves, it’s imperative to maintain systems with the most recent updates. These updates rectify particular security loopholes that, if neglected, could become targets for cybercriminals. Windows patch management is essential to prevent risks associated with outdated software.

Software vulnerabilities can vary widely, encompassing everything from trivial weaknesses to severe security flaws that may jeopardize the entirety of a network. Through consistent application of patches, organizations are empowered to:

• Defend against malware, ransomware, and various forms of harmful software.
• Eliminate security vulnerabilities susceptible to exploitation by cybercriminals.
• Avert data breaches that could inflict considerable financial and reputation loss.
• Enhance System Performance.

Patches frequently bring enhancements and fine-tunings that boost the overall functionality of both operating systems and applications. Consequently, regular Windows patching contributes to:

• Quicker system reaction times.
• A decrease in system crashes and freezes.
• Improved efficiency in the interaction between software and hardware.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Numerous industries are subject to regulatory frameworks mandating the upkeep of a secure and current IT landscape. Consistent management of software updates aids in adhering to these regulations, thereby assisting entities in sidestepping legal and monetary repercussions. This is especially vital within industries such as healthcare, finance, and public administration, where the safeguarding of data privacy and security is of utmost importance.

3. Reduced IT Expenses

Although it may appear paradoxical, proficient patch management can save costs over time. Through the proactive resolution of possible vulnerabilities, enterprises can sidestep expenses linked to system outages, data violations, and high-cost, urgent IT solutions.

4. Enhanced Hardware Lifecycle

Routine Windows patching can play a significant role in increasing the longevity of hardware. These updates enhance software efficiency and guarantee compatibility, which in turn lessens the burden on hardware components, thereby extending their functional life.

5. Better User Experience

For IT teams and employees, a properly managed system equates to a more seamless and effective user interface. This enhancement can result in:

• Higher productivity
• Decreased irritation related to IT infrastructures
• A more efficient workflow process
  

6. Tech & Feature Support

Regularly updating with the latest patches allows organizations to adopt new technologies and upgraded functionalities. By keeping systems current, businesses can harness these innovations for optimized operations and to gain an edge in the competitive landscape.

Challenges in Windows Patch Management

Using patch management for Windows can be a hurdle for organizations. Keeping updates timely and ensuring compatibility across software can be tricky, but these are essential steps to a strong security posture and healthy systems.

1. Timing & Operations Equilibrium

Ensuring smooth updates is a key challenge in the Windows patch management process. Finding the optimal time to roll them out minimizes their impact on users. This may include:

• Scheduling updates to minimize disruption to workday activities.
• Delivering updates without impacting user productivity.
• Critical security patches require immediate installation, potentially impacting planned work schedules.

2. Patching Complexity

Patch management can be a minefield riddled with complexities:

• Sorting through a constant stream of updates to identify the ones truly critical for your specific systems can be a daunting task.
• Walking the tightrope between deploying essential security fixes and accidentally introducing instability with untested patches is a constant concern.
• Devising a single patching strategy that seamlessly addresses a diverse IT landscape filled with a mix of operating systems and software applications presents a unique challenge.

3. Resource Availability

Resource limitations hinder effective Windows patch management for many organizations:

• Smaller IT departments might find it difficult to manage the constant flow of new patches.
• Limited budgets can prevent organizations from acquiring sophisticated patch management solutions that automate tasks and improve efficiency.

4. Compatibility Constraints

Keeping your system up-to-date with patches is important, but it’s not always a smooth ride. Here are some challenges that can arise:

• New patches may not always play nicely with existing programs, especially custom software.
• Older hardware might lack the ability to run the latest patches, leaving them vulnerable.
• People sometimes hesitate to install updates because they worry about disruptions or changes to how things work.

Windows Patch Management Process: Best Practices

By following Windows patch management best practices for patching Windows systems, you can significantly improve your IT security and keep your network running smoothly. These practices, like automation and routine patch testing, are crucial for maintaining a safe and efficient IT environment.

Here are some of the best practices for Windows patch management best practices that organizations can imbibe in their Windows ecosystem:

Keep Automation at the Helm

For robust network security, automating the patch management process is a critical best practice. Automation streamlines the process, guaranteeing timely updates and minimizing human error

Here’s how it achieves this:

• Leverage an automated Windows patch management software that automatically detects, downloads, and applies essential updates, saving IT valuable time and resources.
• Configure updates to deploy during non-peak hours, ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing operations and user productivity.
  
  Automation ensures patches are applied consistently across all systems, maintaining a strong and uniform security posture for your entire network.

Patch Prioritization

The constant stream of patches can be overwhelming. To tackle this;

• Prioritize which Windows patches to apply first by focusing on risk assessment. This means evaluating the seriousness of the vulnerabilities each patch addresses.
• Make critical patches your top priority. These address the most severe vulnerabilities and should be applied as soon as possible to minimize risk.

Test & Deploy

Here’s why you should test patches in a controlled environment before deploying them across your network:

• Testing helps identify potential issues like system instability or compatibility conflicts before they disrupt your live environment.
• By catching problems early, you minimize the risk of widespread outages and ensure a smoother patch deployment process.

Extensive Windows Patch management Policy

To ensure effective and timely patching, a well-defined and comprehensive patch management policy is crucial. This policy should encompass three key sections:

• Patch Application Procedures: This section details the process for identifying, acquiring, testing, and deploying patches. It should specify the timeframe for applying patches based on their criticality.
  
• Roles and Responsibilities: This section clearly outlines who is accountable for each stage of the patch management process. This includes tasks like vulnerability assessment, patch deployment, and post-patching verification.
  
• Exception Handling Guidelines: This section addresses situations where applying a patch might not be straightforward. It should define procedures for handling incompatible patches, critical systems requiring extra testing, or obtaining necessary approvals for potential downtime.

Employee Training & Awareness

Maintaining user awareness regarding the significance of patch management and its impact on them is crucial. This includes:

• Informing users about forthcoming patches and their possible effects.
• Offering instruction on the critical nature of updates and the methods for managing them.

Frequent Auditing

Conducting frequent audits of the patch management process is crucial for adhering to both internal guidelines and external mandates. This encompasses:

• Examining the history of patches to confirm that all systems are accounted for and no unit is neglected.
• Producing documentation that verifies adherence to established regulatory criteria.
• Ensuring patch management is a cohesive part of the overarching IT security framework, working in conjunction with additional security protocols to safeguard the network.

Learn More: Patch Management Best Practices

How to do Windows Patch Management with Scalefusion?

Scalefusion MDM acts as an automated patch management tool to simplify Windows asset management for organizations. It offers an extensive feature set with powerful capabilities, for a proactive patch management experience, including patch compliance. IT admins can remotely drive updates and apply patches to their Scalefusion-managed Microsoft systems on their servers. These systems need to be enabled with Windows server update services.

The following are the prerequisites to configure a Windows patch manager with Scalefusion:

• Scalefusion account with Legacy or Modern Enterprise Plan
• Windows devices enrolled with Scalefusion MDM
• The latest version of Scalefusion MDM agent (v6.0.0.)
• Windows 10 or Windows 11 supporting 32-bit and 64-bit OS updates

Learn More: Third-Party App Update & Patch Management

How to Automate Patch Management with Scalefusion?

With Scalefusion’s automation capabilities, IT admins can streamline repetitive tasks such as applying patches, reducing their cognitive load. Scalefusion’s Windows Patch Management feature enables admins to configure schedules for applying third-party application patches and OS updates based on specific times, days, and weeks.

This Windows Agent-based Update & Patch Management feature automates the assessment, deployment, and updating of third-party apps on Scalefusion-managed Windows devices, ensuring they remain secure and up-to-date.
Here is how you can automate patch management using the Scalefusion dashboard:

1. Configure settings for Agent-Based Third Party App Patch Management from Scalefusion Dashboard.
2. Based on these configurations, the Windows MDM agent queries and syncs updates with the managed devices.
3. Get a summarized view of the status of updates, devices as well as apps and perform certain actions such as syncing updates, checking update status, and downloading CSV reports.

Creating a Windows Patch Management Policy with Scalefusion: A step-by-step Guide

1. Global-Level Policy

Step 1: Log into your Scalefusion account and navigate to the Update & Patch Management section on the dashboard.

Step 2: Click Configure. Configure the default global settings for the Windows MDM agent to query and sync updates.

Switch on the Scalefusion MDM agent-based management tool option. Enabling this option allows you to manage MDM agent-based updates and other granular settings such as;

• Update sync interval for 12 or 24 hours
• Option to sync driver updates
• Force reboot devices immediately, 5 minutes or 10 minutes after updates
• Configure the update schedule to set the time, day, and week or force install on missed schedule

Step 4: Click Save after configuring the settings as per your requirements.

2. Profile-Level Policy

You can also apply the Windows patch management policy on a profile level. It automatically applies the configured patches to every device in the profile.

Step 1: Log into your Scalefusion account and navigate to the Device Profiles option under the Device Profiles & Policies section on the dashboard.

Step 2: Create a Windows device profile or edit an existing one.

Step 3: Navigate to the Windows Updates section and configure the patch management settings under the Scalefusion Agent-based Settings tab.

Step 4: Click Update Profile after configuring the settings as per your requirements.

3. Viewing the Update & Patch Status

On configuring the Windows patch management policy, Scalefusion syncs all the available updates. You can view a summary of available updates on the dashboard. Navigate to the Update & Patch Management section to select any one of two views – Device View or Updates View

Device view:

The device view gives an overview of the total number of Microsoft devices that have been successfully updated, those devices that have pending updates, as well as those that require a reboot after the update. You can filter and view devices based on groups, devices, update type, installation status, or reboot requirement.

You can view a summary of the device details, including the device name, group, and the installed available or hidden updates. You can execute device-level actions like rebooting devices, viewing a consolidated status of the updates, or downloading a CSV of all updates. You can also perform bulk actions like updating, rebooting, syncing, hiding, or unhiding all devices.

Updates view:

The updates view gives an overview of the installed, available, and failed updates. You can filter and view devices based on groups, devices, update type, installation status, hotfix ID, or search feature.

The updates view displays the number of devices on which updates have been installed, missed, hidden, or failed. You can complete device-level actions like viewing a consolidated status of the updates or downloading a CSV of all updates. It also allows you to perform bulk actions like updating all devices, pushing selective updates, syncing, and hiding or unhiding the update status.

Opt Scalefusion for Best Patch Management for Windows

Windows patch management brings a sense of surety and relief to the IT stakeholders and business leaders, knowing that their Windows devices are well-secured. Scalefusion along with offering robust unified endpoint management empowers you to take a systematic, automated, policy-driven deployment of regular updates and control over patches with minimal IT intervention.

Schedule a live demo with our product experts to explore more about Scalefusion’s Windows Patch Management capabilities. 

FAQs

1. What is a Windows Patch Management Software?

Windows patch management software is a specialized tool that facilitates identifying, acquiring, and applying patches and updates for the Windows operating system. It helps organizations manage patch deployments to maintain system security, address vulnerabilities, and ensure the smooth functioning of Windows-based systems by centrally managing the automated patch deployment of updates

2. Why Is Windows Patching Required?

The importance of Windows patch management lies in its ability to fix security vulnerabilities, improve system stability, and enhance overall performance. Regular patching helps protect against potential cyber threats and ensures a more secure and reliable computing environment.

3. What is the difference between Windows update and patch management?

Windows Update is a built-in feature in Windows operating systems that automatically downloads and installs updates from Microsoft. Patch management is a specialized and broader process that involves identifying, testing, deploying, and monitoring updates for all software and systems within an organization, not just Windows.

4. What are the benefits of patching Windows devices?

The benefits of Microsoft Windows patching include enhanced security, improved system performance, and reduced risk of downtime. Patching helps prevent cyberattacks, data loss, and system malfunctions by addressing known vulnerabilities and bugs. Regular updates ensure that the operating system and applications are optimized and secure.

5. Can automated Windows patch management be customized?

Yes, automated patch management solutions, such as those offered by tools like Scalefusion, allow organizations to customize settings. Admins can schedule patch installations, define reboot policies, and filter updates to prioritize critical patches over others.

6. What is third-party patch management?

Third-party patch management refers to the process of managing and applying updates or patches to non-Microsoft or third-party software and applications on Windows systems. It ensures that software from vendors like Adobe, Oracle, and others remains secure and up-to-date, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities.

7. What are the different Windows Patch Management Tools

Several Windows patch management tools are available to help organizations automate and streamline the process of updating their systems. Popular options include Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft SCCM (Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager) for centralized management.