Your Business Needs Patch Management and Managed IT Services in Sacramento

Your business relies on technology. If a malicious virus or worm attacks, your business data and security is in jeopardy. To prevent a malicious attack, you need to block any path they can come through. One part of this defense is applying the operating system security patches provided by Microsoft. These patches help strengthen the operating system and prevent attacks. However, to keep the entire network secure, all systems must have the latest patches applied. The best way to ensure this is is to deploy an automated patch management system— a reliable managed IT services provider in Sacramento can help you with this.

How Does an Automated Patch Management System Work?

An automated patch management system uses multiple processes to do its job:

1. Vulnerability assessment – The first step is to take a complete inventory of all systems on the network and evaluate what vulnerabilities exist on each. This requires a system which can leverage the Windows Update Agent to scan each endpoint and report on the patch situation.
2. Patch determination – The patch management system also needs to know what patches are available and then have the ability to download them to a central system for deployment to vulnerable endpoints. This eliminates the need for internal systems to go outside the network for patch updates.
3.  Testing – Some operating system patches can affect software running on the system. It is important to test patches before deployment to reduce potential downtime. The patch system can deploy the patches to a test environment to ensure there are no conflicts or issues.
4.  Approval – Automation only works so far. It is important to maintain an expert human eye on which patches are deployed and when. The system requires someone to approve patches before deployment. A provider of managed IT services in Sacramento can help you keep an eye on the patches for your business’ security.
5.  Deployment – Some patches are more important than others. The system can prioritize which patches go out first, so critical vulnerabilities get fixed faster. The system will build the installation unit and deploy each patch to vulnerable systems.
6.  Verification – After deployment, the next step is to verify that the patches deployed properly to each endpoint. If any errors are found, the system can retry the installation or inform the system administrator for troubleshooting.
7.  Compliance management – After initial assessment and deployment, the automated patch management system enforces compliance. All patches are added to a baseline so new systems get a full update on initial deployment. All endpoints get routine scans to ensure they are up to date. Any new patches are downloaded, tested, and deployed as needed. Of course, system administrators have full ability to customize the process and force patch deployments as needed.

This type of patch management is a normal part of operations in larger companies. If you own a small to medium-sized business, you may not have the time or resources to devote to proactive patch management. However, if you utilize a managed IT services provider in Sacramento, you can have this type of system and focus on your core operations with ease. For more information about automated patch management or managed IT services, contact us at Noverus Innovations today.