Why is it so Important to Rapidly Deploy New Patches?
When security researchers discover a new vulnerability, they often report it directly to the vendor or manufacturer whose products it impacts. The vendor responds by addressing the vulnerability in a patch and sending it to all of its customers.
That patch contains a changelog that describes all the changes it contains. If the patch addresses a critical security vulnerability, it will say so in the changelog. It may even describe the exact vulnerability it is designed to address.
Since security patches are public, hackers and cybercriminals have access to them too. The patch changelog is essentially a map pointing directly to the vulnerabilities it is designed to address. From there, threat actors can easily identify the vulnerability and find a way to exploit it.
Depending on the vulnerability, this can happen within days, hours, or even minutes. Delaying the release of security patches dramatically increases the risk of threat actors leveraging those exact vulnerabilities against you.
What Problems Does Patch Management Solve?
Patch management provides a formal structure for balancing the security and usability of the organization’s tech stack. Patching security vulnerabilities prevents hackers from exploiting known weaknesses and gaining control of network assets.
However, newly released patches can also disrupt the usability and connectivity of IT assets. Vendors can’t address every possible use case scenario in mind when releasing patches, so certain configurations may stop working correctly. This can introduce complexity or even create downtime for the business.
As a result, some IT managers delay patching systems they are hesitant to change. This maintains the usability of the system, but exposes it to cyberattack risks. This is especially common among small and mid-sized organizations that do not have formal patch management processes in place.
Patch management solves these problems by turning the patching process into predictable, routine activity. It streamlined patch deployment, minimizes downtime, and enhances the organization’s overall security posture.
What Threats Does Patch Management Prevent?
Effective patch management can prevent a wide range of different threats. Depending on the system in question, rapid deployment of new security patches can prevent a wide range of security threats:
- Zero-day exploits. Some security patches contain fixes for vulnerabilities that have never been seen before. Protecting against previously unknown vulnerabilities is vital for maintaining security resilience.
- Man-in-the-Middle attacks. These attacks undermine the privacy of secure communications between hosts and clients. Security patches prevent attackers from inserting themselves between these communications channels.
- SQL injection attacks. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in the way SQL databases accept queries from users. Security patches ensure applications that use SQL are protected against these threats.
- Cross-site scripting attacks. These occur when attackers introduce malicious code into content from trusted websites. Web browser and application patches can stop attackers from injecting their code into your systems.
- Drive-by downloads. These exploit vulnerabilities in web browsers and plugins. Security patches can prevent this software from accepting automatic downloads from known malicious sources.
Patch Management Best Practices
Successful patch management programs often share certain characteristics with one another. Take your approach to patch management to the next level by following these tips:
- Extend patch management to all assets. It’s not just operating systems and applications that need patches. Hardware drivers, firmware, and cloud assets all need the latest security updates installed
- Standardize predictable patch management cycles. Patch management cycles should be predictable and routine throughout the organization. This lets users prepare accordingly, reducing potential impacts from patch compatibility issues.
- Conduct soft launches for new patches. Patching every instance of a software application at the same time can be risky. Consider launching patches to small groups of users first and evaluating the effects before expanding to your entire user base.
- Create systems of accountability. Software and system providers are usually responsible for patching vulnerabilities. IT managers must ensure those patches are deployed across the network—or delegate that responsibility to a managed service provider.
- Scale patch management deployments. Patch management systems help IT departments orchestrate patch launches and resolve versioning issues. Consider enabling remote patch management capabilities in your endpoint fleet.
4 Benefits of Outsourcing Patch Management
Patch management can be a challenging and time-consuming process, but it’s a necessary one. However, dedicating in-house expertise and resources to patch management takes valuable time away from high-impact strategic initiatives.
Consider entrusting patch management to a managed detection and response vendor that can commit scalable resources to keeping your infrastructure patched against new and evolving threats. Some of the benefits this provides include:
- Enhanced security. Rapidly fixing software and application vulnerabilities dramatically improves your security posture. Managed service providers ensure these benefits don’t come at the cost of other security initiatives.
- Improve system uptime. Quick and reliable patch management ensures your software and applications are up-to-date and running smoothly at all times. This reduces the risk of system downtime and supports the overall reliability of your IT environment.
- Compliance. Many regulatory frameworks include specific requirements for patch management. Delegating these tasks to a reputable third party ensures you can meet strict requirements and demonstrate compliance in a cost-effective way.
- Leverage feature improvements. Software patches also include new features and functionalities. Leveraging third party product expertise ensures your team knows how to deploy these new functionalities to enhance your current workflows and get more from your tech stack.
Entrust Patch Management to Novawatch
Novawatch is a managed detection and response provider that specializes in vulnerability management for growing organizations. Our team of patch management experts can help you keep your IT infrastructure up-to-date, ensuring smooth operation and reliable security performance against new and emerging threats. Talk to a patch management specialist now to learn more.
