Patch management involves updating software to address security vulnerabilities. Patches must be applied in the right place at the right time to deny threat actors entry and keep your business-critical infrastructure running as it should.
Manually checking for and applying patches is no easy task; especially with a growing technology stack and a scattered workforce. By implementing a best-in-class remote management solution and establishing an effective patch management policy, you can safeguard your assets and protect your business.
Patch management involves monitoring patch notifications from vendors and other sources and cross-referencing these alerts with your asset inventory to see if and where they apply. You then need to check the patches for potential compatibility issues and performance impacts before deployment and rollout.
Traditional approaches to patch management rely heavily on manual input from IT team members. There are two big problems with this. Firstly, it’s time and resource intensive. Secondly, it increases the risk of missing something and exposing your business to critical vulnerabilities.
Here’s why a more intelligent approach to patch management can benefit your IT team and the wider business…
Modernizing patch management
In 2020, there were just over 18,000 CVEs (common vulnerability exploits) identified and reported. By 2023, that number topped 29,000. The CVE threat is here to stay. And as operating systems and applications grow ever more complex, chances are that it will continue to increase.
IT and cybersecurity managers must avoid a scenario, in which they roll out a patch, but overlook a couple of endpoints. These vulnerabilities can be exploited and used as a springboard for one of many possible attack techniques, including denial of service, information theft, or remote code execution (e.g., for a ransomware attack).
With a modern approach to patch management, the rollout and deployment of security patches can be automated — the fear of your assets being overlooked will be massively reduced.
Research shows that half of all enterprise business users interact with between 11 and 33 applications each month. The top 1% interact with more than 96 apps each month.
In most organizations, the volume of software assets is growing. Let’s say you are currently ‘just getting by’ with your existing patch management practices. Even if your workforce headcount remains fairly static, the sheer volume of patch rounds you deal with each month is only going to increase. A capacity tipping point is inevitable; it’s just a matter of when.
With automated patch management in place, there’s no need to reach that tipping point. You can embrace digital transformation and approve and onboard a whole host of new applications and projects, safe in the knowledge that patch management will be handled efficiently and securely.
If all people and devices are based in one place, IT technicians can move systematically from desk to desk to manually apply updates. It’s a time-consuming process, but at least it’s physically possible.
When areas of the business that were previously analog turn digital (e.g. IoT transformation in manufacturing) this becomes a lot harder to administer, potentially involving physical call-outs to multiple sites. It gets especially difficult when users work remotely, to the point where you may be reliant on users themselves to administer patch installs, giving rise to the risk that guidance or instructions will be incorrectly followed or ignored.
Modern patch management allows you to successfully implement all updates for all devices and users, no matter where they are based. When combined with comprehensive remote access and remote control capabilities, centrally-based technicians can instantly see any device to ensure that patches have been successfully implemented.
What does effective patch management involve? What should you look for in a patch management software solution? To enhance your cyber security stance, reduce the chances of system downtime, and make better use of your IT budget, here are the capabilities to focus on:
Patch management
TeamViewer Remote Management gives you everything you need to keep every part of your IT infrastructure up to date.
Decide on your patching policies and automate your processes in a way that works best for your business. Keep track of every technical resource on your network. Accelerate digital transformation while freeing up IT resources and safeguarding your business from the constant threat of software vulnerabilities. TeamViewer Patch Management makes it all possible.
Gain greater visibility across your network by automatically detecting vulnerabilities caused by outdated software.
See what patches are live and check the status of your devices from one convenient and easy-to-use dashboard.
Fully integrated into TeamViewer, all it takes is the click of a button to roll out your new patch management solution remotely.
Use TeamViewer to provide instant support to users and resolve patch-related issues. With remote access and control of any device, you can check performance, reconfigure applications as needed, and resolve problems remotely.
