Patch management is the process that helps you keep your IT assets safe, protected, and functioning optimally. Server patching follows many general patch management best practices, but it also includes tasks and processes that are specific to patching servers. In this article, we’re going to discuss what patch management best practices apply to server patching in your IT environment, and how you can start improving your server patch management process.

Although the terms “patch management” and “vulnerability management” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same process. Patch management and vulneradbility management are two processes that go hand-in-hand towards supporting a secure, efficient, and up-to-date IT infrastructure. Compare patch management vs. vulnerability management and see why both are essential for a secure IT environment.

As the digital world becomes more interconnected, cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, putting businesses and individuals at risk. On February 14, 2023, Microsoft announced a critical vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver, known as CVE-2023-23376. This vulnerability allows attackers to elevate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, potentially resulting in severe consequences for affected systems.

The best part about patching in N-able N-central is the ability to fully automate the process, but even if that is accomplished correctly there is still a need to have the right amount of sensitivity of patch monitoring in place. I have always monitored patches in terms of age, I did so with WSUS v3 (15 years ago) and have always done so in N-central.

In today’s digital world, software vulnerabilities have become a widespread concern. Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to exploit these vulnerabilities, resulting in devastating security breaches. That’s where patch management comes in. In this article, we’ll discuss what patch management is, its importance, and best practices to implement it.

It’s pretty easy to hit that “remind me later” button when you don’t want to wait for installations, reboots, and possible errors if something goes wrong with the update. Snoozing that patch notification can quickly become a habit, and before you know it, a critical piece of software is weeks or months out of date. More people are learning that this isn’t a bit of harmless procrastination -- it’s actually a huge cybersecurity risk.

Patch management is a critical process within IT environments, and servers are one of the many types of endpoints that need software patches. Server patching, in particular, is crucial to ensure that your servers are optimally functioning and don’t go down unexpectedly. Let’s dig into what server patching is, why it’s so necessary, how server patching works, and keys to proper execution of server patch management.

As organizations grow, the number of tools needed for basic business operations grow with it. Unfortunately, as you add more tools to an organization, you increase the number of potential attack vectors. Within the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), there were 26,448 CVEs published last year, an increase of 20% over 2021. Each of these vulnerabilities serve as opportunities for bad actors to break their way into your network, leading to a loss of valuable data, money, and time.

When shopping for something where all the choices look similar, the feeling of choice paralysis creeps over you. This can happen when shopping for electronics, computer parts, or a pair of shoes. Choice paralysis occurs when a person finds it very difficult and stressful to make a decision with the available information. Applying security patches in Linux is a relaxing and rewarding experience when you have confidence in your process.

Let’s be honest. Patching is tedious work. In a recent patching study by Ponemon and ServiceNow, it was revealed that 65% of businesses say that it is difficult to prioritize patches. Even after applying a patch, the patch management process doesn’t end there. Sometimes, new patches create more problems than they fix. This step-by-step guide prepares for such situations and explains how to uninstall a problematic patch.