In our last article, we explained the importance of good patch hygiene. Failure to maintain patches and updates leaves you vulnerable to cybercriminals. This is hardly a secret, so why is it that so many companies fail to keep on top of their patch management? At the same time, cyberattacks are on the increase. This is no coincidence. Software manufacturers release patches either in response to threats or when they detect a weakness that could be exploited by a hacker. More often than not, the hackers find the hole first, and the subsequent patch is a reaction. This means that any unpatched vulnerabilities in your network expose your data to malicious actors. When you consider the cost of a ransomware attack or the potential damage to your business caused by theft of sensitive information, can you really afford to neglect patch management?
Your security professionals are doing their best to protect the business against the constant threat of cybercrime. But it is becoming harder and harder to manage the number of patches and updates released each year for the myriad systems they are responsible for. It may once have been the case that installing patches was an administrative chore to be completed when other priorities allowed. But patch management has become an increasingly complex and time-consuming task. Network managers often prioritise which patches to install and which to ignore. This is a dangerous tactic which could leave you wide open to exploitation by a hacker.
Patch management must now be considered one of the most important strategic activities you undertake as a business. You need to be confident that the individuals responsible for it take it as seriously as you do.
At NEWORDER, we take vulnerability and patch management very seriously. We are the African partner for Alert Logic, a leading global managed detection and response (MDR) provider. Alert Logic’s vulnerability management solution can provide you with a complete list of missing security patches, unauthorised applications and risky network configurations, making the patch management process painless and your vulnerability protection reliable.
The Alert Logic tool will uncover weaknesses in your assets with automated network vulnerability scanning. It will:
Our Alert Logic solution uses a combination of reactive and proactive tactics to “reduce your attack surface” and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Reactively, the tool track additions, moves, and deletions in network environments and identifies gaps in network and service layers that might expose you to an attacker. Proactively, we will offer guidance, so you have the knowledge you need to reduce or eliminate this exposure.
