Why Manual Patching Is No Longer Sustainable
Security patches are vital for keeping devices, operating systems, and applications up to date and protected, so they should be installed as quickly as possible. However, many businesses still rely on manual patching.
Manual patching is a slow process, prone to inconsistent coverage and long delays. These create unnecessary risks, leaving endpoints exposed and preventing companies from meeting their security requirements.
In today’s world of remote and hybrid work, Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, these issues are only amplified. Businesses need policy-driven, real-time patching to ensure every device remains consistently and securely patched.
Fortunately, with a solution like Splashtop AEM, it’s easy to automate patching in real-time and set automation policies to ensure security and IT compliance. Let’s explore…
The Hidden Costs of Manual Patching
First, we must understand why manual patching is no longer sufficient. While manual patching used to be the only way to patch devices, it’s an outdated, unreliable, and resource-intensive process.
Human Error Leads to Missed and Inconsistent Patches
First, there’s human error to consider. When employees and IT agents are responsible for updating their devices individually, it’s easy to overlook a patch or accidentally miss a device. This can lead to missed updates, devices running outdated app versions, and uneven deployment across endpoint ecosystems, creating security vulnerabilities.
Slow Patch Cycles Increase Security Exposure
Additionally, manual patching is a slow process that requires IT agents to update each device individually. As a result, it takes longer for security vulnerabilities to receive the patches they need, creating larger windows of vulnerability, especially for zero-day vulnerabilities.
Manual Patching Drains IT Time and Resources
All the while, these slow updates are wasting time and resources on tiring, repetitive tasks. This is time that could be better spent on more complex or pressing technical issues, and that work continues to pile up as IT agents focus on patches.
Lack of Visibility and Documentation Hurts Compliance
Additionally, manual updates can be challenging to track, and the lack of documentation can be detrimental to IT compliance. Auditors need documentation showing how endpoints are properly updated, as manual patching can create difficulties during the audit.
However, each and every one of these issues can be resolved with automation tools. With proper patch automation, you can speed up patching, free up IT resources, and gain visibility into each endpoint to demonstrate security compliance.
Indicators That Your Organization Has Outgrown Manual Patch Processes
Is it time for your company to move on from manual patching? As organizations grow, manual patching becomes a longer and less efficient process, so there are a few factors to consider when it’s time to switch to patch automation.
First, consider how many endpoints and remote devices your IT team must manage. The more endpoints you have, the longer and more complex the patching process becomes. This can also make it more difficult to track which devices are patched and compliant with your security regulations.
You’ll also want to look at your patch cycles and backlogs. If there are long gaps between patch availability and deployment, frequent backlogs of devices that still need to be patched, or rushed patch cycles, it’s a clear sign that you can benefit from patch automation.
Additionally, consider how you’re tracking and managing your patches. If you’re dependent on spreadsheets, email reminders, or ad hoc scripting to manage your endpoint patches, it’s time for automation.
Why Fully Autonomous Endpoint Management Solves These Issues
While manual patching is slow, unreliable, and resource-intensive, it can be quick and holistic with the right tools. Splashtop AEM (Autonomous Endpoint Management) is one such solution, enabling IT teams to move from reactive patching to proactive cybersecurity.
Splashtop AEM provides patch automation tools that detect and deploy patches across remote environments in real time, based on defined policies and risk criteria. Administrators can set patching policies for the company or groups to prioritize patches based on regulatory requirements, severity, CVE data, and more, ensuring devices receive prompt updates when needed.
Splashtop AEM supports Windows and macOS endpoints, along with patching for select third-party applications, and provides centralized visibility across endpoints from a single console. This ensures that IT teams can monitor every endpoint and keep devices fully up to date, including the apps they use daily.
Because Splashtop AEM operates in real time, it uses policy-based, event-driven automation to identify new patches and deploy them across endpoints without manual intervention. As soon as a new patch becomes available, Splashtop AEM goes into action, ensuring it is deployed quickly across all impacted endpoints without taking time away from the IT team.
How Splashtop AEM Makes the Transition Easy
Some may be wondering: what does Splashtop AEM do to make patch management easier? Not only does real-time patch automation save time and effort, but Splashtop AEM also provides multiple benefits to make patching more effective and reliable, including:
Real-time patching ensures devices are updated quickly, avoiding long check-in cycles.
Cross-platform support keeps all endpoints aligned within a single system, regardless of operating system.
Third-party application patching for supported apps such as browsers and commonly targeted productivity tools reduces risk from unpatched software.
Policy automation eliminates repetitive approvals and scripting by setting clear policies across departments.
CVE-based insights help IT teams quickly identify and prioritize threats, reducing reliance on manual vulnerability tracking.
Centralized dashboards consolidate status, compliance, and reporting in one place, making it easy to monitor endpoints and demonstrate IT compliance during an audit.
Step-by-Step Guide: Transitioning From Manual to Autonomous Patching
If you want to set up autonomous patching with Splashtop AEM, it’s easy to do so. Following these simple steps will help you understand your security posture and get started with Splashtop AEM so you can automatically install updates across your endpoints:
Audit your current environment to identify gaps and priorities.
Deploy the Splashtop AEM agent across all your endpoints.
Set automation policies for OS updates and third-party software, including rules for critical CVE responses and device groups by department, location, or risk tier.
Run initial patch deployments to eliminate any patches in your backlog.
Activate reporting to generate reports for compliance and management oversight.
Monitor and adjust policies based on outcomes, risk tolerance, and other changes as needed.
What Fully Autonomous Endpoint Management Looks Like Day to Day
With all that said, how does autonomous endpoint management and automated patching impact work and productivity each day?
First, there are the improvements to security to consider. Patch automation helps reduce exposure to zero-day vulnerabilities by deploying updates as soon as patches become available, significantly shrinking remediation windows. With Splashtop AEM’s patch management, you can also keep third-party applications up to date, preventing potential attacks that target unpatched apps.
Patch automation also improves efficiency for IT teams. Since the patches are installed without requiring IT involvement, they can spend more time on strategic projects and other pressing issues rather than on manual updates and maintenance tasks. Additionally, audits run more smoothly thanks to robust reporting and dashboards that display compliance in real time.
All this has a positive effect on the end user’s side as well. Automated patch management means fewer interruptions and more uptime, as well as fewer forced restarts to install patches during working hours.
Common Challenges When Leaving Manual Patching Behind
With all that said, switching from manual to automating patching is a process, and there can be some challenges along the way. Fortunately, understanding the challenges can help organizations overcome them when making the transition.
Initially, there may be some resistance to change. This is to be expected whenever a business process changes, even if it’s for the better. As such, there needs to be clear communication with all those involved, including stakeholders, IT agents, and end users, so everyone understands the process and the benefits of autonomous endpoint management.
Fully deploying the automation tool also requires installing an agent on every device, which can take time and effort. This includes both in-office and remote endpoints, so IT teams and employees will need to invest the time and effort to ensure each device is properly set up. (Of course, this is still less effort overall than it would take to patch each endpoint manually.)
For endpoints with legacy patching tools and processes, mapping older processes into policy-based workflows can take some extra effort. However, with a user-friendly solution like Splashtop AEM, getting set up, establishing policies, and streamlining workflows can be a seamless and painless process.
Security and Compliance Gains From Automating Patch Management
Once you’re set up with autonomous patching, like with Splashtop AEM, what is the impact on security and IT compliance? Real-time, automated patching provides multiple benefits that help ensure stronger security and maintain compliance with industry and government regulations.
Patch automation provides faster and stronger protection against exploits and ransomware, as vulnerabilities are patched as soon as updates are available. Real-time patch detection and deployment minimizes exposure windows, especially when compared to lengthy patch cycles.
As most security regulations require prompt patching, patch automation also helps ensure compliance with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and PCI. When it’s time to demonstrate compliance, Splashtop AEM’s reports can create automated audit trails that eliminate manual documentation and provide a thorough overview of security and patch statuses.
Splashtop AEM: The Faster and Safer Way to Manage Endpoints
Patching endpoints doesn’t have to be a slow, manual process. With patch automation from Splashtop AEM, patching becomes a continuous, automatic, real-time process that maintains security without draining IT resources.
Splashtop AEM lets you leave manual patching behind and manage patches across remote endpoints. All the while, this ensures swift patch deployment, security compliance, and less strain on your IT teams.
Splashtop AEM gives IT teams the tools and technology they need to monitor endpoints, proactively address issues, and reduce their workloads. This includes:
Automated patching for OS, third-party, and custom apps.
AI-assisted, CVE-based vulnerability insights.
Customizable policy frameworks that can be enforced throughout your network.
Hardware and software inventory tracking and management across all endpoints.
Alerts and remediation to automatically resolve issues before they become problems.
Background actions that allow IT teams to access tools like task managers and device managers with minimal disruption to end users.
Ready to modernize your patching strategy? Try Splashtop AEM with our free trial:
