Sometimes, users are used to ignoring unwanted ads and clicking ‘No‘ or ‘Ignore‘ when receiving notifications on their screens or in their emails.
While this may be a good practice in preventing cyberattacks like phishing or malware intrusion, you might just have to read the message and click ‘Yes,’ especially when installing software updates. This simple act, part of good patch management practices, can help boost enterprise security.
But what is patch management, and why is it crucial in protecting your business? The answers will be provided below, starting with the basics.
What Is Patch Management?
Patch management is the process of keeping computer systems current with the most recent security patches, bug fixes, and updates. This is done by regularly checking for new patches and installing them as soon as they become available.
These notifications usually come from the manufacturer or vendor. Users should install them immediately. You can choose to have your in-house IT team handle the updates. Alternatively, you can outsource security management tasks to companies like Santa Fe based IT consulting services or other similar firms in your area.
What Are The Benefits Of Patch Management For Small Businesses?
By regularly checking for new patches and installing them as soon as they become available, patch management can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and data loss.
Patch management can be a powerful tool for small businesses that provide the following benefits:
- Increased Security: Regular updates make you more likely to have an up-to-date system with all known vulnerabilities patched. This means that hackers won’t gain access through these holes in the code, making it harder for them to steal information from your company’s systems or networks.
- Improved Productivity: When updates are applied immediately after they become available, users will have access to new features sooner than if they waited until later versions were released by vendors, which could take months. With efficient path management, your team can enhance their workflows and become more efficient, leading to better staff retention rates.
- Cost Savings: Patching your software will help prevent costly downtime and security breaches that could result in lost productivity or data loss.
On the flip side, ignoring patches can lead to severe business losses that small companies may be unable to recover from. Thus, if you want to strengthen your business’s security capabilities, hiring IT services in Vancouver and similar firms is best to access professional help.
How Small Businesses Can Implement Patch Management:
- Create A Patch Management Policy: This includes guidelines for prioritizing patches, the frequency of updates, and the process for testing and deploying them.
- Inventory Your Software And Hardware: Keep a detailed inventory of all software and hardware used in your business. This inventory will help track which systems require updates and ensure that no system is overlooked during the patch management process.
- Use Automated Patch Management Tools: These tools can save time and resources by automating tasks like scanning for new patches, downloading updates, and deploying them to your systems.
- Test Patches Before Deployment: This step can prevent potential downtime and disruption to your business operations.
- Monitor And Audit: Regularly monitor the success of your patch management efforts by tracking the status of patches on your systems. Conduct audits to ensure that all systems are up-to-date and compliant with your patch management policy.
- Train Your Staff: Educate your employees about the importance of patch management and their role in keeping systems up-to-date.
While implementing patch management in-house can be effective, small businesses with limited resources may still consider hiring outside help for additional support and expertise.
Patch Management Can Protect Small Businesses From Costly Risks
Small businesses without patch management are at risk of experiencing increased security breaches, data loss, and loss of customer trust.
As an aside, the IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2022 Report discovered that the average data breach cost organizations USD$ 4.35 million on average. Additionally, 83% of the surveyed companies have had at least one data breach.
If you’re a small business owner and you haven’t implemented patch management, you’re at risk of experiencing the following:
- Increased Risk Of Security Breaches: Patching your software is one way to prevent hackers from gaining access to your system. If they can’t get in, they can’t do any damage or steal data.
- Loss Of Data: When there are vulnerabilities in the software running on your computers, it makes them vulnerable to viruses and malware that could corrupt files or destroy them altogether, resulting in lost productivity. At the same time, employees work on restoring their systems after an attack occurs.
- Loss Of Customer Trust: Customers expect businesses to keep up with technology so they know they’re getting quality products or services when they buy from you. If customers think something isn’t working right because it wasn’t updated properly, they may stop doing business with those companies.
To prevent these issues, ensure that all of your network’s computers are regularly patched. This proactive approach protects your business, staff, and customers from known security vulnerabilities.
Final Thoughts
Patch management is an important tool for small businesses, but it can be challenging for small businesses with limited resources. Still, they can start manually updating patches while considering hiring an outside company specializing in patch management services.
Because of the stakes involved, taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity, including patch management, is imperative to all organizations. Companies must prioritize building better defenses against all risks and vulnerabilities at all costs.