The need for companies to effectively patch Linux is becoming more pressing as cloud servers and Linux instances become the norm.
Unix and Unix-like operating systems power 67% of all web servers, and it’s estimated that at least half of those, or 34% of all servers, are Linux. This number goes up in enterprise deployments, where Linux application deployments have risen to at least 79%.
The prevalence of Linux
The growing prevalence of Linux means companies must find an effective and reliable way to ensure they are all properly patched. But Linux provides unique challenges when it comes to patching that are not present with other operating systems.
As Linux is based on open source code, it has a fair number of vulnerabilities that are regularly introduced.
However, due to the high number Linux distros including RedHat, Ubuntu, SUSE among others, managing patching is a challenge.
Even working through a vendor for Linux patching, it’s a manual process which requires downloading the package, ensuring system requirements are met, and running additional scripts.
Companies don’t always run just a single Linux distro, meaning they need to repeat the patching process for each distro and keep track of overall patch status manually.
Adding to the complexity of Linux patching is the proliferation of virtual servers, which can quickly be spun up at no cost, resulting in Linux instances that are unknown to IT departments and may be left unpatched for long periods of time.
Centralized Linux patching
There has long been a search for an effective way to patch all Linux distros from a single solution, but most options fall short. Configuration management systems including Chef and Puppet are sometimes utilized to automate the patching process, but they require complex scripting that SysAdmins often need to learn. Even with a knowledge of Puppet, writing programs to effectively patch several Linux distros is a time-consuming task. In addition, Puppet will not be able to audit and report on what patches have been applied, making it an ineffective system when you need to quickly assess your network’s vulnerability to a new malware.
Automox is a truly centralized solution for patching Linux distros. Built with today’s mixed-OS environments in mind, Automox effectively patches Linux without manual intervention or complex scripting. Automox also patches Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as 3rd party software, becoming your single source of truth for patching.
Automox uses a lightweight cloud-native agent. Once deployed across your infrastructure, you’ll have full visibility of every server and workstation. You can see real time patch status of each endpoint, with outstanding patches and severity levels. You can then apply patches automatically or integrate the automated remediation into your existing patching workflow.
As a cloud native solution, there are no additional servers to maintain or configurations to learn. The Automox policy engine is always connected to every endpoint in your infrastructure providing you real time patch status. And with full control over patching automation through the policy engine, you decide which critical security updates are applied quickly, and which updates require approval or testing.
Automox for Easy IT Operations
Automox is the cloud-native IT operations platform for modern organizations. It makes it easy to keep every endpoint automatically configured, patched, and secured – anywhere in the world. With the push of a button, IT admins can fix critical vulnerabilities faster, slash cost and complexity, and win back hours in their day.
Grab your free trial of Automox and join thousands of companies transforming IT operations into a strategic business driver.
