Patch Management

All software has vulnerabilities at some point. No matter how good developers are at creating software, bugs are inevitable and there will always be attackers trying to exploit these vulnerabilities. The need to patch software vulnerabilities, also known as effective patch management, never goes away and is becoming more complex as we provide solutions with enhanced capabilities for an extended and distributed workforce.

Let’s dive deeper into the importance of proactive patch management, the risks of missing patches, and what to look for in an automated patch management solution.

What is patch management?

Patch management is the process for identifying, acquiring, installing, and verifying patches for products systems and features. Patches correct security and functionality problems in software and firmware.

Why is patch management so critical?

Looking at how organizations are compromised, attack vectors are typical as they use outdated or unpatched software that attackers exploit. Whether it's phishing malware, spreading it online, or attacking servers, attackers are exploiting vulnerable software. Missing just one patch can wreak havoc on your organization. There's no better example than his Equifax breach in 2017. On Wednesday, September 13th, Equifax confirmed that a patch for the Apache Struts vulnerability CVE-2017-5638 (the culprit) was available in March, well before the attacks began. However, Equifax had not updated the vulnerable software at the time of the breach, which was over two months old. This single missing patch of his caused the largest data breach in history, resulting in the loss of 143 million American records, the theft of over 200,000 credit card accounts, and Equifax's was fined more than $600 million. The market has lost consumer confidence in us. With a simple patch, he nearly destroyed one of the world's largest rating agencies.

Also, don't forget the compliance risk of not applying patches. All compliance frameworks and regulations include requirements for rapid application of security patches. The risk of not meeting this requirement can destroy a company's compliance status and result in hefty fines. However, we continue to see organizations failing in these fundamental areas due to their failure to implement robust patching solutions and processes.