We’ve all been there. Getting a pesky little reminder for software patches and updates plastered on our screens while we go about our business. If you’re like most people, you’d just click on the button that says “Remind Me Later” and forget all about it. Trouble is, ignoring patches at work can lead to serious security issues. How to manage software and patches, that's the question many IT managers continue to lose sleep over.

But it doesn't need to be difficult.

If you’re reading this post, chances are you realize how important it is to keep your software and applications updated against the latest cybersecurity vulnerabilities. After all, you need to keep business operations running smoothly.

Best Practices to Manage Software Updates

For IT managers, it is a good idea to keep these things in mind when they design and deploy a robust patch management system:

Repeat after me - not everyone needs everything.

With a lot of software, apps and online tools out there, it can be hard to keep track of what programs are critical to your business. It helps to list down software you need for your day-to-day business operations.

In order to manage things, your first order of business is to establish standards for users based on their job designation or role.

Consult this checklist on how to design your software update policy:

Believe it or not, most employees remain unaware of how important software updates are to protect their assets.

The most common excuses for not updating software:

A policy for updates and patches needs to be designed that should consider all these things. Administrative staff or human resources should post regular reminders why these software update policies are crucial for business continuity.

Just because your vendors push out new updates does not mean that they are going to be 100% error-free. Sometimes, an OS update can crash systems due to unforeseen factors.

To mitigate these security vulnerabilities, every IT administrator needs to design a variation of the following system:

Remember: Proper testing saves you time, energy and money. And here’s how you need to do it:

So now you know your regulatory requirements as well as IT environment, it is time to design a patch deployment strategy that works for every stakeholder working in your organization.

Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to software patch deployment. However, there are a few things you can do to make this process as painless as possible:

• Updates that force employees to restart in the middle of the day are the worst. Users hate this practice as it interrupts their work.
  

• Determine your heavy network traffic times as well as peak operation hours. 
  

• Establish a maintenance window based on your business hours. Ideally, inform users to update their machines during off-business hours without undue pressure.
  

System administrators have a lot on their plate. They can take some of the burden off deploying patches to thousands of devices with the help of patch management software. These utilities can help you automate the process with ease.

Here are some benefits that come with using a patch management tool:

You can set up patch management software with automatic deployment rules to distribute patches that have been tried and tested. However, keep in mind that you will need to carry out an audit of this process. This way you can determine if any devices on your network are missing patches.

All it takes is one system with an unpatched vulnerability to allow a bad actor in and wreak havoc. In an enterprise IT environment, the approach to software patches and updates is critical to maintaining security and reliability while minimizing disruptions to business operations. The right strategies and processes can make a significant difference in keeping systems up-to-date and secure.

Note: This blog is part of Pureversity's Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 coverage, aiming to empower you, your home, and your workplace with an improved cybersecurity posture.