We all get those annoying little pop-ups from time to time, notifying us that there are software updates available for our computer. And chances are you get them at the most inopportune time, right in the middle of a project that’s too important to quit. So you hit the “Remind Me Later” button and continue as planned.
A few days later, that friendly reminder pops up again. And once again you click “Remind Me Later.” On and on it goes.
It’s a vicious cycle of keeping your computer up-to-date and as risk-free as possible, and simply doing what needs to be done.
We all do it. Even those of us in IT and know its significance have hit the button a time or two.
Patches and updates perform a variety of tasks to both our operating systems and individual software. They add new features, remove outdated features, update drivers, deliver bug fixes, and most importantly, fix security holes that have been discovered.
While non-security patches don’t necessarily have to be applied right away, it should go without saying that security patches should be applied the moment they become available.
Easy for IT to understand. Not so easy out in the field.
If your employees are working on a project and receive a patch notification, many will hit that “Remind Me Later” button over and over again. In fact, you’ll probably find an employee or two that has never hit “okay.”
This is where your risks truly lie.
Not keeping one machine up to date with the most recent patch available can compromise the security of your entire infrastructure. Your infrastructure is only as secure as your weakest link.
Which means you have two paths to follow.
1. Provide thorough education and monitor consistently
If employees understand the risks, they are more likely to take action to prevent the risks. Education is key. Teach the importance of adding updates as soon as they become available. Create a system for alerting when patches and updates become available. Be at hand if they have questions along the way. The only way to ensure its success and reduce your vulnerability is to monitor it through every department.
2. Take control through the cloud
An advantage of a cloud-based security system is that you have the ability to centralize your security rules. You have a more uniform approach to security while decreasing the risk of attacks. Because you control changes, updates and patches, there’s no more relying on employees to do the job for you. Every policy you create is consistently applied across your enterprise by entering it once at the highest level.
The result is only legitimate business transactions are completed on a timeline that works best for you, keeping your entire network safer and more secure.
How does your company handle patches and updates?
