The amount of technology is growing exponentially as people and organizations undergo the process of digital transformation. More information and data is found online and on machines than ever before. It’s important to keep this data safe in properly functioning software on devices and machines, which is why applying patches is a key task.

Patching is a huge concern within IT environments since the attacks on unpatched vulnerabilities makes up 95% of all cyberattacks. IT teams want to ensure that the IT management tools they choose are capable of delivering reliable patch management. Microsoft has a family of products called the Intune product family. Its focus is on endpoint management in the cloud (whereas Microsoft Configuration Manager is used for on-prem management).

What’s this I hear you cry, “Not another blog about Patch Management, what’s there left to say?”; well a lot, actually. I recently just passed my eighth work anniversary with N-able, and over those eight years I’ve spent more time talking to partners and prospects about Patch Management than any other topic.

In recent years, the number of cyberattacks has increased dramatically. These attacks can be costly and disruptive, and they can even lead to the loss of sensitive data. Patch management is one of the most effective ways to prevent these attacks, as it can help to close security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. However, patch management can be a complex and challenging process.

It’s here — that time to patch your endpoints. Maybe it’s something you enjoy, but my guess is probably not. Patching can be a brutal task, and with many organizations still doing it manually, they’re spending more time and resources on patching than anyone really wants to think about. Now, given the fact that you are going to spend all that time and resources on patching, you want to make sure it goes smoothly.

Patch management is a term that’s familiar to all within the depths and boundaries of endpoint security. While the addition of “automation” to this term might make it seem like one among the thousands of other automated tasks, cybersecurity experts have been going gung ho over it in the last few years. If you’re reading this, it probably doesn’t make sense to explain to you what patch management automation or automated patch management is.

Resistance to change is always present, especially if you think the processes you have in place are efficient and effective. Many organizations feel this way about their software management procedures until they have a security breach or incident and are left wondering where they went wrong. The reality is that most patch management programs are built on assumptions and recommendations, rather than facts about actively exploited vulnerabilities. Risk-based patch management is the answer to this issue.