These are updates to operating systems, network equipment, software products, and applications, created to solve issues that are found after release. Show
Your patch management approach needs to include keeping on top of all available patches, knowing what patches are right for what systems, documenting your patch schedule, and thoroughly testing systems after patching is complete. Automating patch management can help to streamline and improve the accuracy of these tasks. Software patches include adjustments to programming code. They cost money to produce and software houses don’t create them frivolously. Here are the main reasons that software producers create and distribute patches: Security: Hackers explore operating systems and network security services constantly looking for ways to manipulate them to break in, install spyware, or steal data. A piece of software that seems to be secure today might become a security weakness when new knowledge arises. These newly discovered loopholes are called “exploits” and patches remove them. System availability: By removing discovered errors, patches can prevent the system from crashing or hanging. You might not have run across the error that is being fixed but, if it’s there, it could damage your system uptime, so it is better to apply the patch. Standards compliance: If you need to comply with an industry security standard, like PCI DSS or HIPAA, you need to implement a patch management strategy as a requirement of those standards. System guarantees: Software providers will refuse to stand by any system guarantees for buyers who fail to keep up with the latest version of the software by applying all patches. In some instances, providers refuse access to support unless the software is fully patched. Having out-of-date software can also be an excuse used by your professional insurance provider not to pay out in the case of a disaster. System enhancements: Some feature improvements are not issued as a full update but as a patch instead. This is particularly the case that improvements are meant to enhance the efficiency of a backend process. So, if you don’t apply patches, you are missing out on free upgrades. In short, it is not a good idea to ignore patches. Create patch management system policies by first thinking up a set of rules. These rules inform the patch management system of important operating parameters, such as when the system is available for a patch run. Your patch management policies need to be coordinated with business practices and system priorities. They will be implemented in the patch management system as a series of profiles. Here are a few tips: 1. Create separate profiles per device type and operating system The patches that you receive won’t apply to all of your devices because your software is closely tied to the operating system that runs. Therefore, you don’t need to patch all systems simultaneously. Creating separate profiles gives you flexibility. 2. Separate out systems that are critical An example of this is an operating system or a service that needs an entry in the registry. Patches applied to these programs will require a system reboot. Other software packages won’t require that and should be put in a separate patch rollout group. 3. Create a system preparation policy Set up a profile for creating a system restore point so that everything can be rolled back to its status before a patch rollout began if something goes wrong during the patch application process. Attach other admin policy actions to this profile. Schedule this profile to run first before any patch rollouts. 4. Create a regular window for patches Identify a day of the week and an hour of the day each week when there is almost no user activity. You don’t have to attend the rollout, but you need to be able to check system availability after it has completed and before the user community clocks in for work. 5. Leave gaps in the rollout schedule If you are likely to apply patches in several policy groups during the same time frame, leave a gap of about an hour between the launch times of each. This gives time for each policy group to have completed its updates before the next begins. Run the lower-priority patch group that doesn’t require a reboot first, unless patch release notes require otherwise. 6. Ensure that all devices are on You can check in the patch management system to see whether there are any patches that need to be applied in the run-up to your weekly patch rollout time slot. Ensure that all of the devices that will be touched by that policy group activation are on and connected to the network before you leave the office for the evening. 7. Be the first in the office after the rollout Don’t set a patch rollout window for a day when you can’t be sure that you will be the first to access the system the next day. If an appointment means you probably won’t be able to check the system before the users log on after an update, suspend the rollout. For more detailed information about patch management best practices, please visit our support page on the subject. Atera’s Patch Management Software gives you full control over all your patches from one place! Save time by automating patches for OS, software, and hardware and use our powerful and robust instant reporting capabilities to stay on top of every agent, ensuring airtight security and control. Setting and automating software patch management can be completely automated, thanks to our integrations with Chocolatey for Windows and Homebrew for Mac devices. Both options come with a comprehensive list of patches for common software products, from Chrome and Zoom, to Skype, Dropbox, and everything in between. Add these to your IT automation profiles, create software bundles to install or update at scale for each customer, and even exclude certain software patches as necessary.
New OS and software vulnerabilities are constantly being identified. Battles with bugs and defects are endless. New features and capabilities mean progress, and progress doesn’t stop. What does this all mean for the common IT Administrator? Patching, patching, patching. With this onslaught of constant patch releases for Operating Systems and Applications, how can you protect your systems from security risks, win your battles against software defects, and keep current with advancements made in software development? One might say WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) by Microsoft can handle these hotfixes and patches. True, but if you’ve ever used WSUS, you know it’s overly cumbersome to use, riddled with pesky caveats, and most importantly: only works with Microsoft product updates. Here is our list of the nine best patch management tools
What about SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) by Microsoft? SCCM is WSUS on steroids, built for the Enterprise. However, and by no secret, SCCM is a beast to manage, with massive administrative overhead. This offering by Microsoft is robust, but typically only manageable by large organizations with teams dedicated to such a role. Here’s the Best Patch Management Tools & Software 2022:Patch management solutions should be scalable, easy to use and cover a wide variety of vendor software. Below I’ll briefly review my top five favorite tools for patch management. Some are purely standalone systems, while others offer additional integration with WSUS or SCCM. 1. Atera – FREE TRIAL Atera is a complete package of software to support a managed service provider (MSP) business. The technician tools included in this cloud-based service include a patch manager. This is a multi-tenanted system so one technician can orchestrate patch management for several clients on the same console. The automated processes in the tool make light work of patch identification and roll out. The patch management system scans all devices on a network and identifies the versions of each. This enables the patch manager to search for patches that are available to get those systems up to date. Once patches are queued for roll-out, an administrator can choose to hold back one or many pending further investigation. This utility means that the need to verify one patch doesn’t prevent all other urgent patches from being applied. Patches can be applied in bulk or individually and on a schedule or on-demand. The service manages patches for Windows, Windows Server, Microsoft Office, Adobe software, Java and related services, and hardware drivers. The whole Atera system is available in three editions: Pro, Growth, and Power. Charges are levied per month per technician. Download Information: Recommended Free Trial Download Link Here 2. Syxsense Patch Management – FREE TRIALSyxsense offers Patch Management as part of its two system services bundles: Syxsense Manage and Syxsense Secure. Syxsense Manage is a centralized remote endpoint management package that lets system administrators access a cloud-based console to manage and monitor endpoints. The services include aids to manual actions, such as the remote access facility, and automated processes, such as the patch management system. The endpoints that are under the management of this service all need agents installed on them. There are agents available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The Syxsense system scans each endpoint and creates a software inventory. This gives the service a list of software to check for updates. It also notes the operating system version on each device. The Syxsense server then watches the feeds of the providers of all of the software it identified. When updates become available, it copies the installation package over and queues them up for installation. Systems administrators have the opportunity to define when updates should be applied. Syxsense will apply patches unattended and so its thorough reporting procedures are very important. When patches are run overnight, systems administrators can see the next day which actions were successful and which need to be investigated and rerun. Logs can be stored and these will form part of compliance reporting sources that you will need for HIPAA, PCI DSS, and other data protection standards. The Syxsense plans are charged for on a subscription model and each account includes cloud storage space for patch installation packages and audit logs. You can get a 14-day free trial of both Syxsense Manage and Syxsense Secure. Download Information: Recommended 14-Day Free Trial Download Link Here 3. SuperOps RMM Patch Management – FREE TRIALThe Patch Management service of SuperOps RMM is part of a SaaS platform that also includes a PSA system. The combination of these two packages provides comprehensive services for MSPs. The SuperOps system is customizable. The platform includes a lot of automated processes but the user can adapt these or create new automation procedures with the platform’s scripting language. The Patch Management tool is also adaptable because it includes essential automated processes but also presents options on how the system will operate. The basis of the Patch Management service is the associated Asset Management module in the SuperOps platform. This detects all desktops and laptops connected to the monitored network. It then cans through those that run the Windows operating system and documents its software, creating an inventory. The Patch Management system regularly check with the suppliers of the software under management for updates and patches. The system copies down the installers for encountered patches and then lists them as available in the system console. You need to define a calendar of maintenance windows in the dashboard and then decide whether the system will roll out patches automatically or wait for an operator to approve each patch. Download Information: Recommended 14-Day Free Trial Download Link Here 4. NinjaOne Patch Management – FREE TRIALNinjaOne – formerly NinjaRMM – is a remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform. It supplies all of the tools that technicians need in order to support IT services. This collection of software is particularly needed by managed service providers (MSPs) but it could also be used by IT departments that manage a number of remote sites. The package of services in NinjaOne includes a patch manager. The NinjaOne patch manager watches over Windows and macOS operating systems plus system services and hardware drivers. It is also able to manage the statuses of 135 software packages. The tool notes the versions of each OS and software package, which indicates their patch statuses. With a registry of software and operating systems as its reference source, the patch manager watches out for the availability of patches from suppliers. Whenever a patch is made available, it copies over and stores the installation pack. This is then made available for review in the NinjaOne console. Operators can schedule patches for out-of-hours installation and get them installed on all candidate devices or target one or two systems individually. Patches can be held back for investigation, which means that other available patches are not held up just because one in the list of available updates needs consideration. Patches can also be applied individually on demand. The service can be allowed to automatically implement a system reboot when required by the patch. NinjaOne is a cloud-based system so there is no need to install or maintain the software. The system is charged for on a subscription with a rate per monitored device. You can find out more about pricing with a direct quote. Download Information: Recommended 14-Day Free Trial Download Link Here 5. SolarWinds Patch Manager – FREE TRIALSolarWinds’ award-wining solution, Patch Manager (PM), is well rounded and a breeze to work with. Alongside Microsoft patching, SolarWinds PM includes support for a wide variety of 3rd party applications, simplifying and centralizing the entire patch process, from download, to publish, to patch. Integrating with WSUS and Microsoft update agent, SolarWinds PM can automatically patch systems based on custom schedules. Have SCCM deployed? No problem, as SolarWinds Patch Manager cleanly integrates with SCCM, supplementing your installation with value-adds such as on-demand patching, filtered views, notifications, and more. Create custom packages using a simple point-and-click wizard (no scripting knowledge required!). The Patch status dashboard is consistent with what you’d expect from SolarWinds, providing familiarity, especially if you’re already using SolarWinds for Server or Active Directory monitoring. Built-in reports determine the status of patches and demonstrate to auditors that systems are patched and compliant. I’ve seen this solution implemented and countless environments. It’s absolutely outstanding and continues to be a top choice in my book. Download Information: Recommended Free Trial Download Link Here 6. SecPod SanerNow Patch Management -FREE TRIALSecPod SanerNow Patch Management is a cloud-based cyber-hygiene endpoint protection system that offers the latest automated security patches for devices running Windows, macOS, and Linux. This package of security services centers on a vulnerability scanner. This system identifies configuration weaknesses and feeds through to an automated patch manager. The patch manager in SecPod SanerNow is managed from the SaaS console, which can be accessed from anywhere through any standard Web browser. The service takes a list of software from the asset manager module, looks at the results of the vulnerability manager, and then polls software supplier sites from available updates. It also keeps regular tabs on patch availability at the suppliers of the operating systems running on the monitored network’s endpoints. The patch rollout process is automated. However, you set up maintenance windows in the console to indicate allowed times for patches to be applied. In emergency situations, it is possible to override the automation and initiate an on-demand patch installation. The dashboard for the patch manager shows pending patches and a patch history with termination statuses. This enables you to investigate the reasons why some patches failed to apply, make system adjustments, and then let them be rerun at the next maintenance window. Features of this tool include some of the following:
Download & Information: https://www.secpod.com/patch-management/ 7. ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus – FREE TRIALManaging software Updates on your desktops and servers is a no-brainer. But why stop there? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a full picture of your windows server and device environment to include desktops, laptops, servers, linux and mac systems! This is exactly what ManageEngine is attempting to accomplish with it’s Patch Management tool, Patch Manager Plus. The solution supports updating Windows, Mac and Linux to give you a fully thought out solution for all your update issues. From a patch management perspective, this Software automates patch deployments on Windows, Linux and Mac, including numerous third-party applications that run on top. Built-in templates for package creation make it easy to create your own software distributions and manage the install/uninstall process. Power management capabilities cannot only save you money on utility costs, but it can also ensure that your systems are online to be patched. Features of this tool include some of the following:
Download & Information: https://www.manageengine.com/patch-management/ 8. N-able N-sight – FREE TRIALN-able N-sight is a cloud-based platform that includes all of the tools that a managed service provider (MSP) or central IT department needs in order to manage software on many sites. The tool is fully automated but it also allows for a variation in the approval and automated rollout process to enable technicians to hold back individual patches in a batch for further investigation. The N-sight suite includes an autodiscovery service, which identifies all of the devices connected to the network and creates a software inventory for each. This includes the version numbers for the operating system and software running on each. Those version numbers indicate the current patch version. The tool polls suppliers for updates and copies the installers over whenever they become available. A scheduler in the patch management service allows technicians to time patch rollout to occur overnight, thus minimizing disruption. Other features in this patch management system include status reports for completed rollouts. Individual patches that failed to apply can be investigated and run again on-demand or on a schedule. Download: Get a 30-day free trial of N-able N-sight with its Patch Manager. 9. LANDesk Patch ManagerLANDesk is well established amongst systems and asset management software vendors. LANDesk Patch Manager is one component in the suite of products offered by the company. Patch Manager is most effective as an agent-based install, giving you deep visibility into our network. Detect and remediate OS and third-party app vulnerabilities on systems running Windows, Red Hat, SUSE, and Mac OS X. The solution’s Wake-on-WAN feature eliminates any requirements for network configuration by implementing intelligence into an agent, increasing your patch success rates and reducing automated deployment times. Global scheduling ensure that devices are patched at the best possible time no matter where in the world, even over client VPN. LANDesk Patch Manager can be deployed in a standalone mode or as an add-on to the LANDesk Management Suite, offering seamless integration for full systems and asset management, ticketing and more. http://www.landesk.com/company/trials/ 10. ShavlikShavlik has two offerings for Patch Management: Shavlik Protect+Empower and Shavlik Patch. Shavlik Protect is a complete patch management solution that offers agentless patching, OS and third-party application patching, inventory, and much more. Deploy patches to your physical or virtual assets, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and third-party from a central, intuitive console. Like other patch management solutions, you can expect top-notch results when building comprehensive patch policies, detailed reports and intricate automation tasks. I’ve seen Shavlik perform very well in large environments with complex requirements. Remediation is often a team effort with large scale patching, but overall administration was fairly painless for a single FTE to manage. Shavlik Patch maximizes your investment in SCCM by adding third-party patching with a native add-on solution to SCCM. It reduces risk from unpatched third-party applications. Download: http://www.shavlik.com/company/trials/ 11. GFI LanGuardIf I could give an award for best-looking UI, I’d give it to GFI LanGuard. Its clean and non-distracting interface makes it a pleasure to work with. This solution has been recognized in the industry for its specialized ability and commitment towards best-in-class solutions for SMBs. GFI LanGuard supports various Operating systems, including Microsoft, Mac OS X, and Linux, and more than 60 third-party applications. Vulnerability assessments help in discovering risks and threat early on, enabling you to automate remediation upon detection. Built-in alerting keeps you up-to-speed with the dynamic environment. Audits can be stressful, and GFI knows this. Advanced analysis reports detail installed applications, antivirus and other security application status, open firewall ports, file shares, and even application-specifics such as default configurations. Some additional bonuses I’d like to point out with GFI LanGuard is its change management component, asset inventory capabilities and mobile app. While not necessarily a requirement for patch management, these add-ons are handy and may be something worth checking out if you’re not already incorporating such tools in your environment. Download: http://www.gfi.com/products-and-solutions/network-security-solutions/gfi-languard/download ConclusionWe’ll continue updating the list as we find more of the Best Patch Management Software on the Market. If we missed any, please feel free to send us an email via our Contact page and we’ll be sure to get this post updated immediately! |
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