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Leaving software unpatched is one of the most basic, unforced errors an executive can make, but companies large and small keep learning this the hard way. Keeping software up-to-date is harder than it seems, so even when execs are aware of the importance of patching, the sheer volume of needed fixes and the high error rate mean that not every company stays protected.
Unpatched software refers to computer code with known security weaknesses. Once the vulnerabilities come to light, software vendors write additions to the code known as “patches” to cover up the security “holes.” Running unpatched software is a risky activity because, by the time a patch emerges, the criminal underground is typically well-aware of the vulnerabilities.
Leaving software unpatched and vulnerable creates some serious issues. Just take a look at a few of the data breaches that have occurred this year within some of the largest and most well-known companies.
As one of the largest tech businesses in the world, Microsoft is often targeted with cyberattacks. In March of 2022, hackers from an international cybercrime group known as Lapsus$ breached Microsoft and compromised Bing in the process. Luckily, Microsoft was able to shut down the attack without major damages on March 22nd, just two days after it had begun on March 20th.
On October 11th of 2022, Toyota was breached and revealed the email addresses and customer control numbers of approximately 300,000 customers who used their T-Connect telematics service. Fortunately, none of the customers’ financial data was stolen, and no further personal information was taken from the database.
Samsung is a global leader in tech, making them a target for cyberattacks. In July of 2022, Samsung was breached by an unauthorized party that stole customers’ personal information, such as names, phone numbers, demographics, birth dates, product registration info, and more.
Check out this general list of consequences that unpatched software can have on your organization.
Overall, the consequences of unpatched software can be severe and far-reaching. It's important to implement patch management to ensure that your systems and software are always up to date and secure.
The statistics listed below are only the most colorful recent examples of negligent patching practices, but many executives have their heads in the sand about the severity of the problem. “Small business owners tend not to focus on security because they see it as a liability and a cost center,” says AJ Singh, vice-president of product at NinjaOne. “They don’t consider the losses from outages.”
A 2022 cybersecurity study by ThoughtLab determined that software misconfigurations, along with poor maintenance, create the majority of security concerns. They claim, “Over the next two years, security executives expect an increase in attacks from social engineering and ransomware as nation-states and cybercriminals become more prolific. Executives anticipate that these attacks will target weak spots primarily caused by software misconfigurations (49%), human error (40%), poor maintenance (40%), and unknown assets (30%).”
Automox’s 2022 unpatched vulnerability report shows that unpatched vulnerabilities are directly responsible for 60% of all data breaches. Despite this statistic and the risks that unpatched software creates, this research shows that “A staggering majority of CIOs and CISOs even say that they delay putting security patches through to avoid interrupting business growth – and 25 percent say that they are certain their organization is not compliant with data security legislation.”
UpCity’s 2022 cybersecurity survey has a plethora of cybersecurity statistics. They explain that approximately 43% of businesses feel financially prepared to take on a cyberattack, and that 2021 cyberattacks cost U.S. businesses more than 6.9 billion dollars. Also, UpCity reveals that businesses are slowly adapting to post-pandemic security measures. They note that “42% of respondents have revised their cybersecurity plan since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Though reputable vendors typically offer free, automated patching for outdated software, the process can sometimes break down or cause software to malfunction. “Patching is an uphill battle,” Singh says. “There are new threats out every day.” Our internal research at NinjaOne shows that 25-30% of Windows 10 patches fail, which is why we custom-built a utility to successfully execute the process and remediate threats.
Automated patching provides a multitude of benefits for busy MSPs. With automated patching, MSP managers have the option to “set it and forget it,” meaning they can issue a blanket instruction to update O.S. and third-party software across all devices. Or they can tweak patching at a granular level, electing to manipulate settings on a per-device or per-group basis.
NinjaOne’s patch management software offers all these features and more. And you don’t have to take our word for it. An independent survey of MSP users recently rated NinjaOne as having the top software patching functionality among its competitors in the remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool space.
Before implementing patch management, ensure you have gone through these initial steps in your organization.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your systems and software are always up to date and secure. However, some additional aspects to consider when implementing patch management in your organization are as follows:
Ultimately, patching is both too important and too tedious for non-professionals to manage. And frankly, it can be a headache for MSPs too. That’s why Portal offers patch management policies that takes the pain out of this essential process.