Effective Patch Management Strategy Prevents Security Hacks

It's no news that improper patching can lead to security breaches. But despite this, many enterprises choose to suffer such security breaches than apply proper patching. This is because implementing proper security patches with the help of a dedicated patch management software is easier said than done.

Enterprises usually employ many software. And keeping track of each and every one of them is often a complex task which costs them a lot of money and time which they rather spend on enhancing their mainstream productivity. What these enterprises need is a patch management software which can implement a sound patch management strategy without causing much fuss and expenditure.

Before we suggest a patch management tool, let's take a look at what goes into a patch management lifecycle that helps enterprises implement security patches in a systematic way. An effective patch management strategy includes:

1. Clearly Defines The Scope Of Patching: First and foremost step of patch management is asset inventorying. Because only if you can keep track of all the assets within your organization, will the patch management system be able to apply/maintain their security patches. In other words, 100% fool-proof asset inventory is a part of every patch management strategy.
2. Assesses and Prioritizes Security Risks: Security patches are usually of two types: highly critical ones and not-so-critical ones. Through security risk assessment and prioritization - which forms a part of every patch management strategy — you'll be able to implement enterprise-critical security patches immediately without any delay.
3. Allows For Rollback Options: Rollback is the process of reverting to old security patches if a newly deployed security patch is not having the intended effect. This is seamlessly facilitated through efficient patch management strategy. Extremely useful in case some patch implementation fails badly.
4. Allows For Patch Testing: Security patches have to be tested before they are deployed over the enterprise. This reduces the room for any unexpected errors. Therefore patch testing is a must for successful patch implementation and therefore is a part of every patch management strategy.
5. Allows For Automation: Implementing security patches is a tough task. Something which cannot be accomplished without automation. Which takes us to the final (and probably the most important aspect) element of patch management strategy — automation of mundane tasks, leaving only highly critical tasks for manual operation.

About Comodo Patch Management:

Comodo patch management, which is a part of Comodo ONE group of products, is a free patch management software which can be used by enterprises and MSP(s) alike to manage the IT infrastructure. It allows for the systematic implementation of security patches and comes equipped with an efficient patch management strategy that makes patch management an easy task.