Patch Management: What Is It? How Do I Benefit from Its Service?

Did you know that more than 60 percent of small businesses get hacked every year?

What’s more, hackers are discovering new ways to break into company computer systems each and every day.

As cyber threats are on the increase, proper network security is more crucial than ever. This is to avoid the risks of data breaching and to maintain customer and staff confidence within the brand.

As such, many companies are taking extra security measures to reduce these risks. One of these extra security methods is patch management.

While patch management has been largely overlooked as part of data security, the benefits it can provide to keeping computer systems safe shouldn’t be disregarded.

Heard of patch management but not sure it’s the right choice for your business? Read on to learn exactly what the process entails and why it’s so important for your business.

What Is Patch Management?

If your first thoughts are ‘what is patch management?’, let’s go through the details.

Firstly, you’ll need to understand what a patch is. A patch is a piece of coding that works to improve a program already installed into a computer system. Think of it as like a bandage for computer software.

When an error is found in an already-released program, a patch is then produced to resolve the issue without the need to recreate the program entirely.

Patches can apply to nearly every surface of your infrastructure. This includes operating systems, desktops, routers, servers, and office software. With so many different facets to maintain, the increasing number of patches required to keep your system running smoothly and up to date can become overwhelming.

That’s why companies use patch management to allow you to manage these patches effectively and to keep the system up to date and protected from viruses and threats.

While using patch management, a person or device will look for system patches and will decide whether they’re necessary. They can then make the decision to install updates and make sure it’s all implemented smoothly. While installing all the necessary patches and updates in prompt timing, companies can reduce the risks of system crashes and security troubles.

The process is either performed by in-house IT staff, or many businesses prefer to outsource their patch management to allow their staff to focus on less time-consuming and mundane tasks.

The Importance of Patch Management

You may still be wondering why patch management is so necessary – especially if you already have an IT team working in the company to combat cyber threats. Here are some of the patch management benefits for businesses both large and small.

1. Security

The most obvious benefit of patch management is that it works to heighten network security in a company.

By applying a patch as soon as possible, the risks of your business becoming threatened lessens considerably.

Secure your network before hackers have a chance to exploit your system. That way you can avoid having a vulnerable system, data theft, legal issues, and building nasty damage of reputation to your brand that often follows a loud security breach.

2. Productivity

When there’s a big system crash in a company, it’s often that employees must stop work for long periods of time. This is more than a simple inconvenience – it’s a huge waste of time and labor hours.

A system using patch management software is an efficient one. It helps your brand get the most out of your programs and reduces downtime as much as possible. Even one single patch leads to an impressive boost in productivity among staff.

Imagine what an entire patch management system could do?

3. Compliance

The increasing breaches of security mean that today there are increased regulations for companies to follow best practice when it comes to security measures.

Government institutions, healthcare services, and financial sectors, for example, are heavily regulated. Other industries, however, are taking it in their own measures to follow suit. It builds a good reputation to follow high-security measures, after all.

Plus, if companies fail to comply, they risk potentially receiving legal penalties for the business. Patch management helps brands stay within compliance of standards – and avoid any unwelcome penalties.

4. Remote Protection

Today, around 70 percent of workers around the world work remote at least one day a week. This means more and more companies are encouraging their workers to work at home.

One concern with this is – how do you protect the data stored at employee’s homes or on mobiles?

Conveniently, patch management software can be installed as part of a remote workforce system. This means company devices are protected, whether they’re in the office or halfway across the world.

5. Innovation

We all know that technology is moving fast. As soon as one feature is introduced, it seems a newer, more advanced version is there to replace it within the blink of an eye.

With patch management, however, updated security patches contain new features and functionality so your company can stay on trend with technology at ease. Your systems will be improved without the need of consistently buying new software!

Ready to Choose Patch Management?

Patch management offers a wealth of benefits for companies big and small. From protecting your system network to improving productivity among staff, it’s worth looking into the options of installing patch management into your business.

That’s where we can help. If you’re ready to reap the benefits of patch management, check out our options of Managed IT Services.

You’ll have a smooth-running, up to date, secure, and compliant computer system before you know it!