IT ecosystems are only as protected as their most vulnerable service. And yet, as IT professionals, it can sometimes feel like no one wants to even think about, much less take, the appropriate action to manage, control, and protect our environment. The unfortunate truth is that an organization could be exposed to a threat whenever we install something new, update an application, or allow an end user to download something onto their device. Done well, effective patching can protect your organization, its users, and its data from harm and keep things running smoothly.
This blog will look at the basics of what is vulnerability patching, what the patch process looks like, the challenges, and how to get started.
What is vulnerability patching?
First things first, let us cover the terminology- what is vulnerability patching:
A vulnerability is defined by the National Cyber Security Centre as “a weakness in an IT system that can be exploited by an attacker to deliver a successful attack”. They can occur through flaws, features, or user error, and attackers will look to exploit any of them, often combining one or more, to achieve their end goal.
Patches are pieces of code that can be applied to remove vulnerabilities from an IT system or service. Patches usually come from the vendors of the affected hardware or software.
Vulnerability patching: the delivery of security patches to improve functionality or remove vulnerabilities from an IT system or service.
What does the vulnerability patching process look like?
The first step in the process is identifying patching vulnerabilities and threats. The most common ways include:
Scanners and endpoint agents. Scans provide an understanding of known anomalies or patching vulnerabilities that could indicate a malware attack or malicious event has occurred.
Advisories from your hardware and software suppliers and third-party best practice organizations.
Penetration test results.
Firewall logs.
The next step is for IT to analyze the data and understand the nature of the threat and if it could be exploited on applications, servers, or networks. Not all vulnerabilities are created equal, so care must be taken to understand what patching vulnerabilities are present and prioritize accordingly.
Not all vulnerabilities need to be patched, for example, if they are not loaded to memory or if they’re not exploitable in your environment. The final step is to patch the vulnerability, ensuring that the appropriate testing is carried out and any downtime is agreed upon with the business to minimize service disruption.
Why is vulnerability patching essential?
Vulnerability patching is crucial for keeping systems safe, stable, and efficient. It not only protects against cyberattacks but also prevents data breaches, improves performance, and helps organizations stay compliant. Here is why it matters:
Protects against cyberattacks: Patching fixes security flaws in software that cybercriminals could exploit. By addressing these vulnerabilities promptly, organizations reduce the risk of unauthorized access, ransomware attacks, and other malicious activities.
Prevents data breaches: Security holes can allow attackers to access sensitive information, such as customer data or internal records. Regular patching helps close these gaps, minimizing the chances of data theft, loss, or compromise.
Improves system stability and performance: Many patches do more than just fix security issues- they also correct bugs and errors that can cause crashes or slow down systems. This leads to smoother, more reliable, and efficient operations.
Reduces costs: The financial consequences of a data breach or system downtime can be huge. Proactively applying patches is far less expensive than dealing with the aftermath of a security incident, including recovery costs, legal fees, and reputational damage.
Supports compliance: Industries such as healthcare, finance, and government have strict rules for protecting data. Regular patching helps organizations meet these regulatory requirements and avoid fines or penalties.
Strengthens overall security posture: Consistent patching reduces the number of vulnerabilities available for attackers to exploit. It also demonstrates a proactive approach to cybersecurity, showing stakeholders that the organization takes system and data protection seriously.
What are the common types of vulnerabilities that require patching?
Software and systems can have a variety of vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit if left unpatched. The most common types include:
Operating system vulnerabilities: Flaws in the core system software that can allow attackers to gain control, escalate privileges, or crash the system.
Application vulnerabilities: Bugs or weaknesses in programs such as web browsers, office software, or custom applications that can be exploited to steal data or execute malicious code.
Network vulnerabilities: Weaknesses in network devices or protocols, like routers, firewalls, or Wi-Fi systems, that can let attackers intercept traffic or gain unauthorized access.
Database vulnerabilities: Security gaps in databases that can expose sensitive information or allow attackers to manipulate data.
Web application vulnerabilities: Common issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and broken authentication that affect websites and web-based services.
Third-party library and plugin vulnerabilities: Flaws in external software components or add-ons integrated into systems, which can introduce hidden security risks.
Configuration vulnerabilities: Misconfigured settings, weak passwords, or default credentials that create easy entry points for attackers.
Vulnerability patching vs patch management: What are the differences?
While both vulnerability patching processes and patch management involve updating software, they serve different purposes. Patching focuses on fixing specific security flaws, whereas patch management is a broader process that ensures all updates- security, performance, and functionality- are applied systematically.
Feature | Vulnerability patching | Patch management |
Definition | The process of fixing specific security flaws in software to prevent exploitation by attackers. | A broader process that involves planning, testing, deploying, and tracking all software updates, including security patches, bug fixes, and feature updates. |
Focus | Primarily on closing security patching vulnerabilities that could be exploited. | Includes all types of patches- security, performance, and functionality- across the entire IT environment. |
Scope | Targeted and reactive; addresses known vulnerabilities as they are discovered. | Proactive and systematic; manages updates for all systems and applications over time. |
Objective | Reduce immediate security risks and prevent cyberattacks or data breaches. | Maintain overall system stability, security, compliance, and performance. |
Process | Identify specific vulnerabilities, obtain relevant patches, and apply them to affected systems. | Identify all needed updates, prioritize them, test, deploy, and monitor patch status across the organization. |
Frequency | Often done as soon as a critical vulnerability is discovered. | Follows a regular schedule, such as monthly or quarterly, depending on organizational policies. |
Tools | May use security scanners or patch installers for specific fixes. | Uses patch management software or IT management tools to automate, track, and report updates. |
What are the challenges associated with vulnerability patching?
In an ideal world, vulnerability patching would be the most straightforward IT activity to get done. As with everything, there will always be difficulties. Here are some of the most common challenges and potential ways around them:
Lack of ownership
IT security is sometimes treated as SEP or “someone else's problem”. It’s all well and good saying that everyone should be aware of IT security, but clear ownership needs to be assigned to ensure that security threats and patching vulnerabilities are identified, assessed, and acted on. Codify roles and responsibilities in a RACI chart so that everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and nothing gets lost or forgotten about.
Scheduling issues
Work with your organization's change management (or enablement) team to agree on an appropriate maintenance window for patching (and any subsequent reboots and downtime) and secure the proper approvals.
Lack of testing
Effective testing benefits everyone as the last thing you want after a patching exercise is a flurry of calls to the service desk the following day with users reporting issues. If possible, establish a non-production environment that hosts all your business-critical applications and services to test the patches in a way that doesn’t impact end users. Once the patches have been tested and deployed to your live environment, run some additional tests and ensure that the affected services are responsive and responding normally before standing everyone down.
What are the vulnerability patching best practices?
Patching can be the difference between a safe environment and one that is vulnerable to malicious attacks. Here are some tips on getting started with the vulnerability patching best practices:
Agree ownership - The responsibility for vulnerability management typically sits with security teams while IT is responsible for patching and patch management. Build clear workflows to ensure security can scan for and detect vulnerabilities, with clear handover points into IT support so that the appropriate support team can test and apply the patch before reporting the status back to security to close the loop.
Know your environment - You can’t manage what you don't know. The first step in any successful patch process is to understand what’s out there. Create an inventory or baseline of all devices, services, and dependencies in your IT infrastructure, including operating systems, custom in-house services and third-party applications.
Set your scope well - If you are reading this article, the chances are you're new to the world of patching, so let’s start with your most significant pain points or areas of exposure. Vulnerability management and patching can be complex, and it’s too easy to get sidetracked or focused on the wrong things. Prioritize by overall risk and concentrate on the big hitters, to make the biggest impact.
Create a patching policy - A vulnerability patching policy governs how you determine the patching process. The objective is to protect your environment by reducing security risks to ensure that technical vulnerabilities are quickly identified and reviewed, risks are evaluated, and patches are applied within a reasonable timeframe. The policy must cover all the hardware, software, and applications on your network, including when they were last patched, a database of known vulnerabilities, and an agreed patching schedule.
Teamwork matters - IT security is too complex and too important to operate in isolation. There are many stakeholders and moving parts to manage, so lean into a collaborative approach. Work with change management (or enablement) to ensure patch activity is on the change schedule, the appropriate support teams have been engaged, and any downtime has been agreed upon with the business. Talk to the service desk about the timings of any patch activity so that the appropriate resources and checks are in place to protect the customer experience. Engage with the service level and relationship managers so that when new services and service level agreements (SLAs) are negotiated, IT security requirements are captured and supported with the appropriate maintenance windows.
Automate and optimize - Where possible, use automation and software tools to manage and maintain your patches and updates to improve accuracy and reduce the potential for human error.
How does patching work in SuperOps?
SuperOps simplifies and automates the patching process, making it easier to keep systems up to date and secure. You can create policies that handle everything from discovering patches to deploying them, with options to automatically approve critical updates or defer others for testing.
Patches can be scheduled for off-peak hours to minimize disruption, and reboots are managed with flexible settings depending on user activity. You also get clear visibility of patch status for each asset, including which updates are pending, require a reboot, or are fully applied.
Additional features include bulk actions for multiple patches or assets, onboarding new devices with all necessary patches, and support for both Windows and Mac systems. SuperOps also allows manual overrides, giving you control to approve, reject, or defer patches whenever needed.
This combination of automation and control helps ensure systems stay secure without creating unnecessary downtime or administrative overhead.