3rd party software including browsers and applications by Adobe, Java, Google, Firefox, and other vendors make up a large percentage of the vulnerabilities on any computer. Up to 76% of known vulnerabilities are found in 3rd party applications rather than in a computer’s operating system. Java is often considered the biggest threat to US desktops, with up to 48% percent of Java users running on outdated versions. Google Chrome, with more than half of the browser market share, is another major source of vulnerabilities. In June of 2017 alone, Google released patches for 30 vulnerabilities and 5 high severity issues.
With the proliferation of new applications, lack of an effective patching solution, and growth of Shadow IT, 3rd party software often goes unpatched. Hackers know this and it provides them with an excellent point of entry for malware and other forms of attack.
Other factors impacting 3rd party application patching includes the irregular and individual release schedules of vendors as well as limitations of existing patching solutions to handle 3rd party applications. This leaves IT Managers and SysAdmins responsible for tracking and managing 3rd party software. Unless you have someone dedicated to this function, it is nearly impossible to keep up with the known 3rd party applications, let alone the increase in Shadow IT accessed from the cloud.
For Windows, WSUS and SCCM are often employed to automate the patching, but their 3rd party application patching is limited and difficult. This allows organizations manage their Windows operating system patches, but does little to effectively help with 3rd party patches. Legacy on premise patching solutions also provide 3rd party support, often through a different provider, limiting the ability to easily see and manage your overall patching security.
Automate 3rd Party Software Patching
The solution to 3rd party patch management is a modern, cloud-native patching automation solution like Automox. Not only can you patch across Linux, Mac, and Windows, Automox also provides immediate visibility of the software installed on every device, reducing the risk of Shadow IT causing problems. With a single dashboard, managing patches for your OS’s and 3rd party applications has never been easier.
Automated patch management solutions can group patches by severity and send alerts when certain devices have missed a patch, so that no 3rd party software instance goes unrecorded or unpatched. You can also deploy software and remove unwanted software you don’t want on your system. Automox provides additional functionality that allows for flexibility over patch automation, so that patches can be tested and approved before being deployed. Because Automox utilizes a cloud-native agent, it regularly adds to the list of 3rd party applications that are natively patched, including Java, Adobe, Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Office, and others.
About Automox
Facing growing threats and a rapidly expanding attack surface, understaffed and alert-fatigued organizations need more efficient ways to eliminate their exposure to vulnerabilities. Automox is a modern cyber hygiene platform that closes the aperture of attack by more than 80% with just half the effort of traditional solutions.
Cloud-native and globally available, Automox enforces OS & third-party patch management, security configurations, and custom scripting across Windows, Mac, and Linux from a single intuitive console. IT and SecOps can quickly gain control and share visibility of on-prem, remote and virtual endpoints without the need to deploy costly infrastructure.
Experience modern, cloud-native management today with a 15-day free trial of Automox and start recapturing more than half the time you're currently spending on managing your attack surface. Automox dramatically reduces corporate risk while raising operational efficiency to deliver best-in-class security outcomes, faster and with fewer resources.
