Regular patch management is one of the easiest and most effective methods of securing your company’s infrastructure. However, in the bustle of a smaller company, the precaution can easily take a backseat to other activities, quietly increasing vulnerability to malicious cyberattacks. Strengthen your patching process with these common-sense steps.
1) Inventory. Be sure to document all operating systems and applications (native and third-party) and versions currently in use. Include firewalls, anti-malware and other security products.
2) Prioritize. Not all systems carry equal strategic or operational importance. Identify your most sensitive, business-critical assets and try to patch them first.
3) Test. New patches can break systems and expose new vulnerabilities. If possible, verify new releases in a test environment before deploying them to your infrastructure.
4) Apply. Some patches are naturally more urgent than others. In general, it’s best to test and deploy any new update as soon as practically possible–especially those for your operating system (we’re looking at you Windows 7 owners).
5) Automate. Smaller firms can struggle to patch in a timely fashion, prolonging their security exposure. Automated patching, on the other hand, is a cost-effective alternative that can close the gap and reduce the risk. Kaseya’s 2019 State of IT Operations Survey showed that automation was a “key area for improvement” in more than half of companies polled. For more tips on improving your patching strategy or practices, call TeamLogic IT Plano today at (469) 573-3743 or go to our website at teamlogicitplanotx.com.
Mohammad (Mo) Nilforoushan is a trusted Technology Advisor in North Dallas who has completed his BSEE from Cleveland State University and a MS in Solid State Physics from Bowling Green State University. He has worked as a Product and Test Engineering Manager for 15 years with RCA/Harris, Dallas Semiconductor and Texas Instruments. He was also Director of Operations at Microtune Inc. between 2002 to 2015. Mo started his own company, “TeamLogicIT Plano” in 2015 with a mission to deliver excellent Managed IT Services in Dallas and Plano, TX with innovation and updated technology. The TeamLogicIT Plano team, which includes his wife Kathleen Stewart (marketing/sales) provides excellent IT Support, Computer Services, Cloud Computing, Backup, and Disaster Recovery, with second to none customer service. Call us at (469) 573-3743 or contact our email PlanoTX@TeamLogicIT.com.
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