Patch Manager

What is software patching? Definition

Software patching is the process of incorporating a set of changes on a computer program or its supporting data to ensure security and smooth functioning. A software patch arrives as a temporary fix between full releases of a software package. Often, software patching is predominantly rolled out to fix security vulnerabilities and other bugs and is referred to as bug fixes or bug fixes. In a few cases, the patch is installed into an existing software for improving usability or performance.

Patching is a part of software lifecycle management, and this involves planning and strategizing what goes out first and to which systems at a specified time. Sometimes, poorly designed software patches may introduce new problems and may disable a device or remove services that the user is no longer authorized to use.

Software patching may be done for any of the following reasons:

• Enhancing the software (Upgrade)
• Installing new drivers
• Fixing a software bug (Bugfixing)
• Addressing the latest security vulnerabilities
• Addressing other software issues

Why is a Patch Manager Necessary?

In recent times, more and more companies have started to rely on their in-house IT infrastructure for business expansion. This helps save money and increase overall profitability in their new ventures. Since viruses and other malware threats are on the rise more, businesses are reinvestigating their security requirements to protect their information technology environment in a better way.

Software is Insecure

Ensuring safety on software platforms has become a matter of grave importance to many software service providers. As a result, software companies release patches to their users to secure their system vulnerabilities. Insights from the past indicate that every machine in a business environment needs to install the latest patches to stay protected. For instance, if one device in an IT environment is not patched, it can cause stability issues for the entire environment and possibly hinder usual processes from functioning normally.

Zero Day Attacks

Zero-day attacks rarely occur. There is a time gap between the identification of the vulnerability and the patch creation. Zero-day attacks can have a wide range of impacts on your online presence. Some of their effects include wasted time, degradation of your brand, and revenue loss. With proper patching practices, the attacks can be easily averted.

Unsupported Software

These days, it is not uncommon for vendors to suddenly stop supporting software. This means that patches for discovered vulnerabilities will no longer be available. To stay protected, it is best to stop using this outdated software. Hackers often target users still using outdated software.

Key Features & Benefits of ITarian Patch Manager

ITarian Patch Manager is an easy-to-use patch management tool that gives MSPs total control over the deployment of updates to OS and third-party applications on network endpoints. ITarian Patch Manager features a centralized, easy-to-use interface. Some of its benefits are:

MSPs can remotely deploy updates for Windows and Linux operating systems and third-party applications with the help of ITarian Patch Manager.
ITarian Manager offers a single pane view of statistics, providing a detailed report of available updates for all the endpoints.
With ITarian Manager, MSPs can quickly identify the endpoints which contain vulnerabilities and patch them accordingly.
ITarian Manager allows MSPs to create policies for automatically applying updates to endpoints at scheduled times.
ITarian Manager allows MSPs to create custom endpoint tags which help in categorizing endpoints into groups.
ITarian Manager offers an in-depth report on the hardware, software, and update history of endpoints. It helps MSPs know the status of their endpoints at various time intervals.
If an MSP wants to add additional endpoints to the ITarian Patch management console, it can be easily done by installing a software agent on each managed endpoint.