IT Patching: Why Outsourcing is Vital

There are many benefits to MSP IT patch management

IT patching, or patch management ensures that your software is updated, fully functional, and secure—meaning it's an essential component of your business operations. Sometimes, it requires immediate response to protect an organization from malware, bugs, or another particular issue. That means you need patch management services that respond fast in the event of a threat, and ideally, that response wouldn't pull resources from your daily IT needs.

There's no doubt patching is critical; in fact, as many as 57% of data breaches can be attributed to lackluster patch management. In other words, nearly 60% of data breaches could have been avoided with effective patch management! More, third-party patching is critical—so if you're dependent upon Microsoft patching alone, it's tantamount to giving thieves the keys to your convertible. In addition, security threats are increasingly more sophisticated and can bring business to a standstill, even for companies with a robust IT team. IT patch management—even as an ala carte service— through a Managed Service Provider (MSP) as Locknet® Managed IT can give you the firepower you need in the clutch, and the peace of mind to know your software is always operating at its best and offering you the highest possible level of protection.

Why outsourcing patch management is essential

The electronic landscape is a minefield these days; staying up to the minute on emerging threats and knowing how to best address them is incredibly time-consuming, and nearly impossible if it isn't at the core of what you do. If a tenured pro is responsible for the company's patch management program, that bandwidth might be better utilized elsewhere within the company's strategic initiatives. For so many reasons, your business is better when you outsource your patch management needs, not the least of which is that it gets the attention it deserves as a fundamental component of your network security. Here's a closer look at why outsourcing your IT patching is important.

1. Chances are your IT department is overloaded already.

Typical IT departments are already stretched thin. For one, IT departments are in demand for higher priority, strategic initiatives—which are vital and simply cannot be compromised. And with so many security patches every year, IT patch fatigue is real. Yet add a single, emergent threat to your IT department's to-do list and everything else comes to an absolute standstill. A zero-day attack has to be addressed immediately. For example, many victims of the WannaCry ransomware could have been left unscathed if they hadn't experienced gaps between patch release and deployment.

Simply put, many attacks are preventable if you have the right experts in place. When you work with Locknet Managed IT, we have the means to approve and test a fix—which is huge. Why? Many organizations don't have a separate test environment they can use prior to mass deployment. More, some patching can cause issues with your apps; testing first ensures those apps break less frequently.

Finally, after testing, we can mass deploy a fix so it is addressed swiftly.

2. MSPs like Locknet always stay abreast of vulnerabilities and critical patch needs.

At Locknet Managed IT, we know exactly how important it is to stay on top of patch needs—it can make or break your business. So, we are committed to staying on top of security issues, being informed about critical patches and threats, and communicating proactively with our clients when the proverbial software hits the fan.

3. We'll run patches while you sleep.

At Locknet Managed IT, we run patches every single evening, as opposed to the typical schedule of once a week. This is our strategy to capture machines that may have been offline a night or two so we can get those updates applied. Tired of having to reboot when you get to the office? We have an automated reboot in place, where if an update requires a reboot, it will happen automatically and fully install the update(s) so your device is ready for you when you are ready to begin your day. Bottom line: you won't lose any winks over your IT patching, and you won't lose any productivity time when staff logs on for the day's work.

4. Outsourcing patch management is ideal for businesses

At Locknet Managed IT, we know first-hand how important it is to protect your data. And, Locknet has invested millions of dollars in the tools it uses to provide effective patching. This combination of knowledge and tools means Locknet can help put a lock-tight patch management plan in place for the unique needs of your business.

IT Patching: Locknet Managed IT can help

There is a reason that many IT security experts still believe the most important prevention of a data breach is effective patch management. When you're looking for a partner in IT patch management in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Iowa, the experts at Locknet can help. Our proprietary Netxuspro™ product offers patch management, remote control, custom reporting, audits, scripting, and monitoring. Whether you have an in-house IT department in need of patch management support, or you're looking for a more comprehensive partnership with an MSP, we're here for you. If you're ready to get started, give us a call at 844-365-4968.