Posted by Sami Mäkiniemelä, Miradore Chief Security Officer
Security requirements can easily be identified from the physical threats we can see. For example, the aviation industry prohibits bringing guns or knives on board, and has systems in place with metal detectors and scanning devices that are not allowed on board. However, when it comes to digital threats in the world of cybersecurity, they are much more difficult to identify and eliminate because they are usually invisible. This means that enterprises must continuously search for threats to protect critical business systems from unwanted data disasters.
Automation systems are key to achieving this goal. One of the most influential examples of this in the cybersecurity context is automated patch management (APM). The process by which code changes or patches are automatically deployed to devices to correct or update the operating system or installed software products. APM is the easiest way to fix known vulnerabilities caused by outdated software. According to the Ponemon Institute, 57% of cyberattack victims report that they were able to prevent the breach by installing an available patch. 52% of respondents say their organizations are at a disadvantage when it comes to responding to vulnerabilities because they use a manual software patching process.
Unpatched software is a real cybersecurity risk that can result in serious financial and reputational data breaches. Some of the largest breaches in history have been the result of unpatched software. Equifax was forced to pay. $425 million settlement Victims of data breaches due to known unpatched software vulnerabilities, and these weaknesses continue to be used by attackers as an easy way to compromise business data. Unpatched software vulnerabilities in 2021 Hackers’ most common attack vectors. recent research Ponemon Institute and ServiceNow Nearly 50% of respondents reported experiencing at least one data breach in the past two years, and 60% of breached companies said these attacks may have been caused by unpatched vulnerabilities.
However, the focus on large corporations and the major impact of attacks on them has given small businesses a false sense of security that they are not at risk because they are not a big target. . In fact, this type of attack can happen to any company, big or small. This means that it is essential that all businesses develop the resources to defend themselves against these pervasive and growing threats. The challenge for small businesses is that they often have fewer financial resources available for cybersecurity. If a business has a limited IT budget and needs to focus on one area of digital security, it should focus on APM, which can provide a solution to protect the company’s critical digital assets at minimal cost.
Here are three main reasons why APM is the best solution for protecting companies large and small from digital vulnerabilities.
1–APM is better than manual patch management.
information security magazine coverage Over 18,000 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) were published last year. That averages about 50 CVEs per day, and tracking everything manually is nearly impossible. APM ensures that you are always up to date with the latest patches for your operating system and applications. So, even if your company manages a small number of computers, APM is your best bet, as it eliminates the possibility of forgetting to check for updates or incorrectly installing patches due to human error.
2–APM mitigates risk to employees.
Because APM automatically installs new updates, IT administrators do not have to rely on device end users to manually install patches. It is also convenient to centrally monitor the patching status of your IT environment with all devices running APM available from one online portal. This allows all required patches to be automatically uploaded and installed on the device, eliminating the need for IT administrators to manually search for new patches each time.
3–APM means better productivity.
Devices running the latest version of the software perform better overall. This means that device users do not have to suffer from performance issues or bugs, which increases their productivity. Employees and IT managers alike spend far less time keeping software up-to-date, making them far more productive.
Many small businesses may think, “Well, all of this would be great if we could afford it.” The good news is that APM is cheaper than managers expect. APM software is also often integrated into mobile device management (MDM) platforms with a variety of additional asset management capabilities, such as online device inventory. Online device inventory makes automated and manual patch management much easier by storing all device technical specifications, including versions of all installed software, in a central repository for convenient reference by a company’s IT staff.
MDM also provides the ability for small businesses to greatly simplify IT operations by automating device setup and maintenance tasks, freeing up IT departments more time to support employees with pressing and complex issues. In fact, MDM platforms allow some IT departments to 30 hours per month. This can be a huge productivity boost, especially for small businesses with minimal IT staff.
In today’s digital environment of ever-increasing threats, it’s time for businesses to leverage APM to provide the most secure networks, devices, and other infrastructure to their employees, vendors, and customers. It also helps free up valuable IT professionals’ time for other, more demanding purposes. There is some cost to implementing these technologies, but not as large as if a patch failure causes the company to be subject to the next patch. Yahoo!– or Facebook– Scale data breach. APM is the easiest and most effective way for companies of all sizes to mitigate unpatched vulnerabilities, keeping all computers and digital devices safe and performing optimally.
About the author
Sami Mäkiniemelä is Chief Security Officer at Miradore, a software company that provides MDM services. Sami can be contacted online through: LinkedIn. You can learn more about Benefits of patch management and mobile device management From the Miradore website.