The Scoop on Updates and Patches and Benefits of Managed IT Services

Author: Joe Martin, Date: 2016-05-11

Because of the nature of technology, updates and patches are both common and necessary for all businesses. No matter how skilled and experienced a programmer or software developer may be, at least a few bugs and vulnerabilities are inevitable. Therefore, most software is considered a work in progress rather than a complete project. Even Fortune 500 companies in the technology sector are known to release many patches and updates for their products.

Case in point, a few weeks ago, Microsoft released an entire batch of patches and updates. Out of the batch of 13 patches and updates, Microsoft rated six of them as “critical.” The reason these updates received this rating is because they are fixes for the Badlock Bug and the remote code execution issues that many users have encountered.

The Badlock Bug was discovered about two months ago, in March 2016. Not only does the Badlock Bug have an adverse effect on the Windows OS, but it also negatively impacts the function of Samba, which is a software that allows the compatibility of the Windows OS with Linux and Unix servers. The Badlock Bug, an EoP attack, works by gaining access to administrative privileges so as to access password-protected accounts and to limit user access to accounts. Attackers can even take advantage of the Badlock Bug to destroy active directories.

Unfortunately, it is likely that many businesses will not receive this vital update since they have not enabled automatic updates for their systems. Not only do all computers with the Windows operating system need to be patched, but so do Windows server operating systems. To protect your IT infrastructure from security breaches, your company must be vigilant about installing all recent security patches. If you don’t have the time or skills to do this yourself, you may need the services of a managed IT services provider, such as Compunet InfoTech in Vancouver.

Managed IT Services — Staying Up-to-Date With Patches

Because of the lack of time or resources, many businesses make the mistake of failing to stay up-to-date with patches and other security updates. Even if you can’t dedicate yourself to keeping track of updates, you can hire a managed IT services provider to install the security patches for you. A managed IT services provider will ensure that the updates and patches are automatically installed on the workstations of all your employees. In order to protect your IT infrastructure, data centers and networks from cyberattacks, a managed IT services provider will also diligently install patches for the Windows Server OS.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on any important patches or updates, you can create a set schedule for your managed IT services provider to install all the latest patches. If patches with a “critical” status are released, your managed IT service provider can work off-schedule to ensure that all serious vulnerabilities are addressed immediately.

Managed IT Services — Staying Safe From New Threats

Unfortunately, once a security threat or vulnerability is identified, it may take months before a patch is released. For example, the Badlock Bug was identified in early March, yet users had to wait until mid-April to receive an update. In the time between the identification of a threat and a patch, you can work with your managed IT services provider to find ways to protect your IT infrastructure from cyberattacks in the meantime.

In this new era of cyberattacks, keeping up with security patches and updates is more important than ever. Fortunately, you can depend on a managed IT services provider to help you with this task. If you have any questions about the managed IT services we provide here at Compunet InfoTech, don’t hesitate to email us at info@compunet.ca or call us at (604) 986-8170 .