What Is Patch Management? Meaning, Process, and Best Practices

Patch management is an infrastructure management activity where IT admins or operations managers must identify and prioritize patching needs, obtain and test these patches or fixes, and deploy them to update, improve, or repair existing code. This article explains how patch management works, its importance for enterprises, and the best practices to follow in 2022.Â

What Is Patch Management?
Understanding the Process of Patch Management
Importance of Patch Management
Top 10 Patch Management Best Practices in 2022

What Is Patch Management?

Patch management is part of systems management that deals with locating, obtaining, testing, and installing patches or updates to the code, which are meant to rectify errors and plug security gaps. It includes keeping up with newly released patches, selecting the ones required for particular software and hardware, testing the fixes, verifying their installation, and documenting the process. It is mainly managed by enterprise IT professionals, although DevOps teams may sometimes participate in the process.

Operating systems, applications, and embedded devices frequently need fixes (like network equipment). A patch can be used to correct vulnerabilities that are discovered after a piece of software has been released. Doing this may ensure that none of the resources in your ecosystem are open to exploitation. Software patches assist in resolving issues that were not initially apparent. Patches primarily address security issues, while some also address a particular program’s functionality.

Computers install patches as little installation packages or files. Additionally, it makes it simpler to confirm that devices are using the most recent software releases. Windows and Mac management are not complete without patch management.Â

A â€œpatchâ€ is a specific update or group of updates offered by software developers to address technical problems or known security flaws. Developers may also include new features and functions for the application with patches. It’s vital to keep in mind that patches are frequently temporary fixes meant to be used up until the following major program release.

With the aid of some patch management systems, the entire process can be automated, from the identification of missing patches to the operation of patch deployment to the endpoints. A centralized patch management server streamlines the whole procedure. With centralized patch management, you can apply both Microsoft and third-party software patches from a single point of control. This aids in lowering system-related errors, which boosts productivity.

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Understanding the Process of Patch Management

Here are the essential steps for understanding the patch management procedure and ensuring it works.

1. Create an inventory of standard items

Establishing a current baseline inventory of all of your production systems is the first stage in the process. This list must be exhaustive in scope and should at the very least contain every operating system and application your company employs. However, making an inventory of your applications and operating systems is only the beginning.

Hardware vendors, such as companies selling network hardware, periodically distribute firmware upgrades that are meant to resolve problems at the hardware level, much like software makers release software updates that are intended to fix flaws and known vulnerabilities. Therefore, you must include firmware in the inventory.

2. Collect information on software patches and vulnerabilities

The second limitation is keeping track of the required and available patches. The fundamental building blocks of Office, Windows, Linux, Unix, and other programs like Adobe are simple. However, updating third-party apps typically requires a manual inspection of the vendor’s website. Operators should investigate patches to see whether any security issues are fixed.

The work becomes increasingly more challenging due to many of these programs. Most operating system and application patches aim to fix some security vulnerabilities, but not all security flaws are created equal.

3. Determine the vulnerability, assign relevancy, and filter to endpoints

Using the asset inventory to select which assets should apply which changes, or filtering, is one of the trickiest parts of patching. Many businesses compile lists of prospective software patches that may be released, but integrating these lists into assets to determine whether a given patch is necessary creates logistical challenges and labor-intensive tasks. This filtering process is sped up considerably by studying which patches are needed and for which systems.

4. Utilize a test lab setting

Every time you apply a patch, there is a chance that it will have issues. One should thoroughly evaluate any patch in a lab setting before being applied to your production environment. You must ascertain whether the patch is secure for usage in production or if it interferes with mission-critical software.

Software vendors probably test patches to some extent, but because they want to fix security flaws as soon as possible, they might not test fixes as thoroughly as they should. There have been several instances where software vendors have published flawed updates that have caused issues in previously stable environments.

5. Have the security team evaluate the stability of the patch

Your security team needs to ensure a patch is reliable and doesn’t crash while testing it in a lab setting. However, the security team should simultaneously confirm that the patch indeed fixes the flaw that it intended to guard against. Establishing a protocol for how long one should test a patch in a lab setting is a good idea for your firm. Every patch must undergo the most extensive testing feasible, but companies must balance this against the necessity to fix the security flaw.

6. Patch management review, approval, and mitigation

There should now be a formal review procedure where the individuals in charge of managing software take into account the patch they will apply, the outcomes of the testing procedure, and the list of endpoints that are provisionally planned to receive the patch. They can choose to authorize the patch distribution process once they have this information. The patch management software of the company must be set up to block the deployment of a particular patch if the team decides not to use it.

7. Conduct a trial deployment of some patches

This test run confirms the patch’s suitability for production use. It offers the company another opportunity to discover any problems that slipped through the cracks during lab testing. Since the patch hasn’t yet been applied to every endpoint in the organization, the impact of issues will be limited.

8. Document systems pre- and post-patching

Documentation is the process’s last phase. It’s crucial to record your systems’ conditions before and after a patch is implemented. In this manner, it will be simpler to determine whether issues that later arise are related to a patch previously implemented.

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Importance of Patch Management

Patch management is important because it:

1. Enhances security

Security should never be taken lightly, mainly if your company deals with data protected by federal or state legislation. A missing patch is among the most frequent reasons for a security lapse. You can prevent this by actively managing the fixes required to â€œshore upâ€ vulnerable areas that hackers could exploit. All operating systems, including cloud and third-party platforms, allow for this. Patching vulnerabilities regularly aids in managing and lowering the risk in your environment. This shields your company from unexpected security lapses.

2. Supports Bring your own devices (BYOD)

Allowing employees to bring their own devices to work (BYOD) is becoming increasingly popular among organizations. It can increase employee productivity and save businesses money by eliminating the need to buy gadgets for their employees. BYOD can be as convenient as it is a security-related nightmare. No matter where an employee uses a deviceâ€”in the office or on the jobâ€”patches management will keep it safe.

3. Prevents interruptions in productivity

If a patch is absent, systems and even computers can crash. The result is a decrease in production. It sometimes even has the power to shut down the entire company, which can be detrimental to its bottom line. Enterprises can avoid system crashes through patch management.

Thus, productivity remains high, and workers continue to work. Keeping your systems and programs up to date will reduce the number of issues and any downtime you might experience due to patches not being implemented correctly or at all. A patch will increase productivity by ensuring that your systems are running the most recent software. Cyberattacks like ransomware can completely shut down your company. Functional bugs can also bring on system outages.

4. Detects outdated software

Your current operating system or software will eventually become outdated, and you’ll notice that you’re not getting any patches. There are many potential causes for this, including;

The corporation will soon release a new version of the software.
The software’s developer is no longer in business.
The software provider has stopped providing technical support.

Any software that needs to be updated before it poses a security risk will be found through patch management.

5. Provisions timely feature updates

Patch management is crucial for many reasons than just fixing bugs and vulnerabilities. A patch can also improve the functionality of the software or system. Patches can also include updated or new features that boost output and make the system function more efficiently. The prevalence of cloud software available via subscription has led to an increase in feature updates.

6. Drives innovation

Since the digital world is evolving daily, keeping up with the most recent technologies and updates is crucial. Patch management will help you ensure that you have the most recent software with the most up-to-date features that could help your business. You can apply patches to provide your technology with new features and functionality. This can allow your business to implement your most recent software advancements widely.

7. Enforces compliance

There are cybersecurity laws in existence that mandate that companies and organizations dealing with personally identifiable information adhere to the mentioned standards. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are two examples. Businesses violating the law or having experienced a security breach may be subject to fines or imprisonment.

As cyber threats grow, laws are becoming more stringent, and businesses must adhere to the best practices for information security. Patching your systems will help you avoid regulatory penalties and fines. Failure to comply could subject your company to legal repercussions. Patch management guarantees that you adhere to these criteria.

8. Protects remote workers

In today’s environment, businesses encourage remote work, and most employees work remotely at least occasionally. Patch management can therefore be incorporated as a component of a remote workforce support solution to safeguard all the devices used by your business, wherever they may be. Ultimately, patch administration is essential for your enterprise. It keeps all devices and software up to date, eliminates system crashes, and ensures the seamless operation of your company.

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Top 10 Patch Management Best Practices in 2022

To ensure a streamlined and efficient patch management process, organizations can:

1. Embrace automation

For effective patch management procedures, approvals, reboots, and reporting must all be automated in addition to the patching process. Regression testing should also be automated to the greatest extent practicable if it interferes with other tasks. Additionally, additional suppliers could follow Microsoft’s lead, which has started automatically deactivating several functions until they can install the fixes. Users should consider automatic scanning, scheduled scanning, and downloading missing patches from vendor websites when choosing an automated patching program.

2. Consolidate and investigate systems

Your patch management approach must include a thorough inventory of your company’s hardware and software. Only if you know what needs to be protected will you be able to determine which patches are essential to your systems. Include a list of all your company’s devices, operating systems, and applications. There’s a chance that your outdated systems need to be updated. Not all software updates itself automatically, and using third-party apps may increase the dangers of supply chain attacks.

3. Standardize patch management policiesÂ

Establishing routines, methods, and timeframes for effective patching is facilitated by patch management policies. Knowing what, when, and under what circumstances your business will deploy fixes is essential. The best time to deploy patches is after lunchtime, after work, or over the weekend to minimize interruptions to business. One can regularly schedule regular patch updates, but one should also be ready for unexpected situations. You can set up a notification mechanism to be informed if patches are applied after business hours in case of a system malfunction.

4. Classify and apply risk levels

Organize your assets into categories first to enable effective deployment. Then, assign risk levels to each category and asset to decide which patches should be applied first based on their criticality. This procedure aids in determining which systems require patch deployment right now and which ones can wait. You can prioritize the sequence of your patch deployments by assigning risk levels. Applying updates to high-level issues first wastes time and jeopardizes the security of your system.

5. Recognize vendor security updates

Researchers regularly assess the security of vendor firms’ programs, and patch codes are made available if any flaws are discovered. Ignoring these updates from vendors could cost your business money and goodwill. Consequently, it is advised to keep up with vendor-side updates. Many patch management software companies also maintain their databases to search available patches quickly.

6. Categorize all systems

Your systems must be categorized if patch management is to be effective. First, patch the systems or components that are more at risk. This will prevent attacks on high-priority assets, protecting users from losses. By classifying your systems, you can ensure that every stage and component of the system follows the patch management approach. You should have a more specialized policy so that you don’t apply low-priority patches in the middle of the workday or forget to apply a crucial patch when required.

7. Check the support environment

Always verify that the fixes are appropriate for your platforms or environment. Developers may optimize some patch codes for the Windows platform but not for Mac, Linux, or Unix. Like patch codes, some upgrades may function better on modern ERP systems but not on outdated ones. Companies can reverse patch deployments, but in the interim, a faulty patch may break more components of your system or even reveal new vulnerabilities.

8. Speed up deployment

One must deploy new updates considerably more quickly. Patch deployment is still thought to take an average of 12 days. The leading causes of this are the data silos and poor departmental communications. Due to speedier patch deployment, a user will have fewer patches to evaluate and prioritize. A quicker patch distribution also shields your program or application from common assaults.

9. Conduct patch testing

A faulty patch can worsen the program by potentially damaging system components and increasing attack susceptibility. Users may ensure that patches are accurate and secure by testing them before updating. Although one can reverse patch deployments, in the interim, a faulty patch may break some aspects of your system or reveal new security vulnerabilities. Before deployment, testing fixes helps ensure that they are functioning correctly.

10. Set up a backup

It is considered best practice to make a backup of your production environment before making significant system modifications. This should be a complete system backup containing all data and any modifications or adjustments done to current software. A backup and restoration strategy will allow you to restore your system to its initial, unpatched condition should your patch deployment fail. Companies should make complete system backups to ensure that they can quickly restore the system in case of failure.

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TakeawayÂ

As cybersecurity threats become more prevalent, patch management is essential to fix any vulnerabilities in enterprise firmware, middleware, or software. In addition to helping you stay secure, patch management ensures that the application keeps pace with market trends. The global patch management market is predicted to grow from $652 million in 2022 to over $1 billion by 2027, per a Market Data Forecast report. Enterprises should strengthen their patch management capabilities and institutionalize the process as part of the bedrock of IT.Â

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