Freely subscribe to our NEWSLETTER

“Think of technology that’s synonymous with the early noughties and there’s a whole host – from the iPod to DVDs - that are now mostly consigned to the archives.

But there’s one fixture that has stood the test of time and remains a firm appointment in systems administrators’ calendars.

It might be as old as a Gen Z’er, but Patch Tuesday’s 20th anniversary milestone is a timely reminder that – although we’ve seen enormous changes over the past two decades to operating systems and software – the importance of regular patching to provide protection from a range of key vulnerabilities has not changed.

Yet patching continues to be a big challenge for many organisations. Sprawling IT estates, siloed operations, competing demands between security and operations teams, and a lack of communication, mean that patching becomes a disconnected, painful, and drawn-out process.

Establishing best practice in patch management is absolutely essential. With ever increasing numbers of vulnerabilities to manage, taking steps to contextualise and prioritise risks has never been more important. Building on the routine practice of patching, organisations must focus on vulnerability prioritisation to hone in on the threats that really matter to their business.”