Boosting IT Productivity: 9 Reasons to Automate Your Patch Management

In the current digital landscape, organizations face the constant challenge of stabilizing security and accelerating the productivity of their IT systems. As such, timely patching is critical. However, continuing to rely on manual patch management processes can get in the way of speed. Manual patching is time-consuming, inefficient, draining, and prone to human error. 

It’s kind of mind-blowing how many organizations still dedicate little to no resources to improving their endpoint management and patching processes. All their IT teams have time to do is put out fires. What about all the other tasks an IT team must undertake?

That's where automated patch management comes to the rescue. Not only does automated endpoint management help streamline the entire patching process, but it also offers a range of benefits that significantly enhance IT productivity. 

Check out the following list of nine reasons why embracing automated patch management is crucial for organizations seeking to maximize efficiency and stay ahead in their patch management efforts.

There’s really no reason to be missing patches. Automated patch management solutions drastically reduce the workload required to apply patches, saving valuable time and resources. Automox customer feedback indicates organizations using automated patch management solutions have reclaimed up to 50% of a full-time employee's time.

Implementing an automated patch management solution doesn't have to be a complex and time-consuming process. With user-friendly automated patch management tools, the setup can be completed within minutes, allowing organizations to swiftly deploy and start managing patches across their network.

Once an automated patch management tool like Automox is installed, organizations gain immediate access to their device estate through an intuitive console. Adding new devices, creating policies, and deploying patches become a seamless experience, eliminating the need for complicated configuration or extensive onboarding processes.

Automated patch management tools provide comprehensive visibility into the device estate, enabling organizations to have a holistic view of their network. This visibility allows IT teams to efficiently manage and prioritize patch deployment across all endpoints, regardless of location or domain. It's an important benefit given 55% of organizations do not feel they are managing their endpoints very efficiently.

Automated patch management solutions empower organizations to patch and deploy updates as often or as quickly as needed. Staying ahead of adversaries means remediating critical vulnerabilities within 72 hours, and zero-day vulnerabilities even faster.

With a clear view of vulnerabilities, organizations can easily press a button to initiate patch deployment. They can select specific patches, update targeted devices, and schedule updates to minimize disruption and ensure optimal productivity.

Automated patch management solutions offer robust security features by enabling organizations to proactively update critical or zero-day vulnerabilities. According to the 2022 ESG Economic Validation Report, Automox significantly reduced the time-to-patch window, closing the aperture of attacks by 80% compared to alternative solutions.

By staying ahead of potential threats, organizations can significantly reduce their attack surface and strengthen their overall security posture.

Seamless integration with existing software is a key feature of automated patch management tools. These solutions are designed to work harmoniously with various IT environments and complement existing security suites. 

Whether organizations have Linux endpoints or rely on multiple third-party software applications, automated patch management tools ensure that all software stays up to date, enhancing overall system security.

Automated patch management solutions provide organizations with the means to monitor their network and ensure compliance with internal and external regulations. By leveraging policy automation, organizations can proactively identify and address compliance gaps, minimizing the risk of penalties and reputational damage.

Cloud-native automated patch management solutions eliminate the technical debt associated with on-premises patch management tools. By adopting cloud-based automated patch management solutions, organizations are making sure they always have access to the latest features and functionalities without the need for on-prem. This future-proof approach enables organizations to focus on strategic initiatives rather than spending time on maintenance tasks.