Here’s a quick history lesson—until the mid-1970s, most computer programs were created on punched cards. Engineers would take a piece of rectangular paper card and punch holes by hand on a keypunch machine and feed it into a card reader. The machine would then run the program. If the program produced an unexpected or incorrect result, it would probably be because an engineer punched the wrong hole in the card. The only way to fix the error was to scrap the incorrect card and replace it with a new one. This is how the software patch management process used to work back then.
Today, patching has become an overly complex, cumbersome, and time-consuming process that needs robust tools and frameworks to change code and mitigate vulnerabilities. This blog provides a detailed understanding of why patch management is crucial to the IT device management lifecycle.
What is Patch Management?
Patch management is the process of identifying and deploying patches and updates to operating systems, applications, and firmware. It involves identifying system features that need to be improved, creating a fix, releasing the updated software, and validating the installation of the updates. The aim behind patching is to protect systems against vulnerabilities.
All devices need to be secured, whether it’s an employee’s laptop, a shared tablet at school, or a self-ordering kiosk in a quick-service restaurant. Organizations must carry out regular patching as it acts as a security tool against vulnerabilities that are caused by evolving threats, system configurations, or outdated patches.
Types of Patch management
Many different types of patches exist, each serving a specific purpose. Some patches fix bugs to improve security, while others add new features to the software. These patches can be generally grouped into three main categories:
- Security patches: These patches address vulnerabilities in the software that could be exploited by attackers. They are essential for keeping your software safe and up-to-date.
- Bug fix patches: These patches fix errors in the software that can cause crashes, unexpected behavior, or other problems. They can improve the stability and reliability of your software.
- Feature patches: These patches add new features to the software. They can improve the functionality of the software and make it more useful for users.
What Are the Steps of Patch Management Process?
The patch management process works depending on whether a patch is applied to a standalone system or numerous systems in an enterprise’s network. Irrespective of the environment, there are three key steps involved in the process of deploying patches:
Step 1 – Vulnerability Scanning
This step involves a complete inventory check for open vulnerabilities and security gaps in the company assets. It’s essential to check all devices in the company’s IT environment that have access to detailed hardware and software information.
Step 2 – Prioritization Strategy
Prioritization is key to ensuring that the effort of patching under scarce resources is expended toward maximum risk reduction.
Step 3 – Patch Management
Once a clear software patching strategy has been articulated and the vulnerabilities to be addressed have been prioritized, it is vital to use effective tools to discover patches from vendors and automate patching at scale. Finding and using the right patch management tools can significantly reduce the effort involved in patching.
Best Practices for Patch Management
Failing to patch software leaves organizations exposed to vulnerabilities that can be easily avoided. Industry best practice is to keep applications, operating systems, firmware, and services up to date with the latest security patches. Patches should be applied according to schedule and after discovering new vulnerabilities. Following are some best patch management practices that you must follow
1. Categorize by Risk and Priority
From the patch management software perspective, not all applications, systems, and platforms are equal. After collecting an inventory of devices, segment all users and systems based on priority, such as risk level and the number of applicable and available patches.
2. Utilize a Patch-Testing Environment
Once a patch is released, there’s no guarantee that it will perform without any snag. Create a patching testing lab environment that mirrors the production environment. After patches are deployed in the lab, the IT security staff should monitor these for any updates and check to see if any breaks occur.
3. Patch Approval
It can be either manual or automated. The sheer volume of patch installation across enterprise servers, appliances, and the cloud can become an operational nightmare with the manual approach. Automated patch management tools are more sophisticated and automate repetitive, tedious tasks to shorten the time between a patch’s release and its implementation.
4. Patch Distribution
After approval, it’s time to roll out the patches. As a practice, deploy patches to a select group of devices after business hours. Monitor those patches and implement a disaster recovery plan if needed. Later, the deployment process to different device groups will be automated with patch management software.
5. Document the Patch Management Process
Once a document has been applied, it is important to check for improvements in the patching process. Keep a record of the process and procedure under the company’s IT security policies and procedures documentation. After deployment, use the patch management Program to produce a report of the status of your devices.
Benefits of Patch Management
In addition to protecting systems from vulnerabilities, a patch management system also presents organizations with several other benefits:
1. Employee Productivity
Patching ensures software and applications are up-to-date and run smoothly, supporting system uptime. It helps improve overall employee productivity by minimizing downtime caused by outdated or unsupported software.
2. Compliance
Patch management is commonly required by security frameworks or standards such as ISO 27001 Annex A, PCI DSS, or NIST Cyber Security Framework. Failure to comply with patch updates could result in fines, sanctions, or other penalties.
3. Lower Costs
Patching lowers the cost of device lifecycle management and repair. With a dispersed workforce, businesses have had to pivot quickly to provide support. Remote mobile device management tools extend the abilities of IT staff, lowering the need for costly on-site visits.
The Patch Management Lifecycle
Patch management is a continuous lifecycle because vendors regularly release new patches. It ensures that software patches are efficiently managed and deployed across an organization’s IT environment. Furthermore, a company’s patching needs may change as its IT environment changes.
Organizations establish formal patch management policies to outline the best practices that admins and end users should follow throughout the lifecycle. This process involves several key stages, each essential for maintaining the security, functionality, and compliance of IT assets. The stages of the patch management lifecycle include:
Asset Management
Asset management is the foundation of the patch management lifecycle. In this stage, IT and security teams create a comprehensive inventory of all network assets, including third-party applications, operating systems, mobile devices, and both remote and on-premises endpoints. Standardizing the hardware and software versions across the organization simplifies the patching process by reducing the diversity of assets. This standardization also ensures that employees are not using outdated, unsafe, or incompatible applications and devices, which could otherwise complicate the patching process.
Patch Monitoring
Once the asset inventory is established, the next stage in the patch management lifecycle is patch monitoring. IT and security teams continuously watch for the release of new patches and track the patch status of each asset within the organization. This stage is crucial for identifying assets that are missing patches and ensuring that all systems are up-to-date with the latest security and functionality updates. Effective patch monitoring enables teams to stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities and maintain the integrity of the IT environment.
Patch Prioritization
Not all patches are created equal, and some are more critical than others, particularly when it comes to security. In this stage of patch management lifecycle, IT and security teams use resources like threat intelligence feeds to identify the most critical vulnerabilities within their systems. Patches addressing these high-risk vulnerabilities are prioritized over less essential updates.
Why is Patch Management Important for Enterprises
Cyber threats are multiplying rapidly, with software vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks on the rise. Patching all devices—servers, desktops, laptops for remote offices and home workers—across a complex network can be a daunting task for businesses. While managing these patches manually might seem like a cost-saving option, it’s both inefficient and risky. Patch management tools offer a far more secure and streamlined approach.
| According to a Ponemon Institute report1 commissioned by IBM, over 40% of IT and security workers indicated they suffered a data breach in the last year due to unpatched vulnerabilities. While simple in nature, patching software in a large organization with several complex systems takes time. It takes, on average, 102 days to apply, test, and fully deploy patches. |
The patch management Process isn’t just another IT chore—it’s a critical line of defense for your entire organization. Here’s how:
- Fortress against cyberattacks: Patches fix vulnerabilities in software and applications, act as a shield, and reduce the risk of cyber attacks. Unpatched software is an easy target, potentially leading to devastating breaches.
- Compliance without complications: Regulatory requirements are becoming stricter. A strong patch management strategy maintains security and compliance and ensures all your devices comply with the latest standards, keeping you on the right side of the law.
- Beyond bug fixes: Patches aren’t just about security. They often introduce new features and functionalities, improving usability and ensuring optimum system performance.
- Keeping downtime at bay: Ransomware and other cyber threats can cripple your systems, costing valuable time and money. Patch management Program keeps your devices updated and secure, minimizing the risk of downtime caused by security breaches.
How to Implement Patch Management in Your Organization
Here’s a breakdown of how to implement efficient patch management across your network’s systems:
1. Seeing the Big Picture: Centralized Visibility
First things first: you need a clear view of all your network devices. This centralized view allows IT admins to understand each system’s patching status. With this knowledge, they can prioritize critical and important patches for timely deployment.
2. Scheduling Deployments: Balancing Security and Productivity
Finding the right time to patch is crucial. Disruptions during work hours can be a pain for employees. Patch management tools can help by scheduling deployments based on user availability and system uptime data. These tools can also automate patch deployment based on pre-defined policies. This includes configuring settings like automatic reboots after installation.
3. Patching Every Corner of the Network
For businesses with a global workforce, patching strategies need to be comprehensive. This includes systems on the local network (LAN), remote offices (WAN), and even employee homes (for remote work).
4. Testing and Reverting Patches: Safety First
Before unleashing patches on your systems, always test them first. This ensures they function correctly without causing any issues. Once tested, deployment can proceed smoothly. However, even tested patches can sometimes go awry. That’s why it’s important to have a rollback plan in place. This allows admins to uninstall problematic patches from all affected systems.
Effective Patch Management With Scalefusion MDM
Companies can fall behind on patching for many reasons, including talent shortages, infrastructure complexity, and software compatibility issues. Manual patching is slow and error-prone which can hold open all discovered security flaws. Companies should utilize automated patch management solutions or endpoint management software offering patching capabilities to ease the operational burden on IT staff and minimize errors
Scalefusion UEM’s patch management solution helps IT teams automate the deployment of OS and software update patches to ensure the devices run on the latest OS, identify if there are any patches to mitigate vulnerabilities, and improve the security posture of the organization.
Get in touch with our experts to find out more about automated patch management using Scalefusion. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today!
References:
1. IBM
FAQs
1. What is a patch management software?
Patch Management Software is a tool that enables centralized patch management for your organization. It helps address security vulnerabilities by updating software and systems, enhancing both security and performance. This software ensures that your organization’s IT environment is secure, reliable, and up-to-date, improving overall security.
2. How does patch management work?
Patch management automates detecting, acquiring, testing, and deploying software update patches across systems. It ensures that devices remain secure, compliant, and up-to-date, reducing the risk of exploitation by cyber threats and minimizing system downtime due to software issues.
3. How Often Should Patch Management Be Performed?
Patch management should be performed regularly, typically every month, to ensure systems are protected against vulnerabilities. However, critical patches should be applied immediately to mitigate security risks. Automating patch management can help maintain consistency and reduce the chance of delays.
5. What types of software tools are involved in effective patch management?
Effective patch management involves software tools such as patch deployment systems, vulnerability scanners, and configuration management tools. These tools help identify, prioritize, and apply patches across systems to ensure security and stability
5. What is known as Patch Tuesday?
Patch Tuesday is Microsoft’s scheduled release of software updates and security patches, occurring on the second Tuesday of each month. These updates address security vulnerabilities and improve performance across Windows systems, as well as other Microsoft products like Office, Azure, and .NET Framework.
