Cybersecurity is possibly the top buzz word in the tech industry today, which means companies will be sweating every time a new security threat is exposed. Cyber security as a job field is steadily growing in an attempt to quell cyber crime, but it has a long way to go: the number of unfilled jobs is projected to reach about 3.5 million by 2021, meaning businesses will be scrambling to keep up. The information technology solutions they can start right now? Patch management. Here’s what patch management is and how managed IT services can make sure it runs smoothly.
What is patch management?
The Technopedia defines patch management like so:
“A strategy for managing patches or upgrades for software applications and technologies. A patch management plan can help a business or organization handle these changes efficiently.
“Software patches are often necessary in order to fix existing problems with software that are noticed after the initial release. Many of these patches have to do with security. Others may have to do with specific functionality for programs.”
The best patch management strategy involves constant awareness of new strategies to target vulnerable systems by cyber criminals and a quick response time on creating patches.
What steps does an IT company go through for good patch management?
- Make patches a priority. When an IT operations worker is pulled in several different directions during the day-to-day of their job, patch management can slip through the cracks. Put it on the schedule and make it a priority.
- Keep an accurate inventory of IT assets. For IT services to know exactly what patches are relevant for the system they’re dealing with, there needs to be an updated, complete list of all assets. It’s not as simple as it sounds, but working on automation and network mapping can help.
- Test patches before applying them. Although patches are meant to fix issues, anyone in information technology solutions knows that tech solutions can sometimes cause more problems. Developing a standard testing procedure for new patches can help save time and money that would otherwise go to fixing mistakes from wayward patches.
- Have designated patch experts. Often the job of patching is covered loosely by all on an IT team, but that leaves the risk of losing accountability and can create confusion. Having a few designated workers who handle patches or even specifically hiring a patch manager is worthwhile.
- Have everything documented, always. Because patches are small, numerous, multi-step tasks, everything should be documented to avoid confusion. Keeping a record of what vulnerabilities have been patched and the stages in the testing process, for example, will keep IT and management up to date on what could otherwise be a major security issue.
With patch management, the name of the game is being thorough and committed. If your business is worried about patch management and needs an intervention with solid information technology solutions, let RDE Technologies assist in getting your security management up to par. Your system can’t fall behind with a professional team in your corner.
