The Difference Between Patch Management and Vulnerability Management
Patch management and vulnerability management may be terms in the security world that have been used interchangeably, but this notion isn't completely accurate. Efficient patch management and vulnerability management platforms aren't synonymous, but rather work together to foster a stronger security posture. Understanding the difference between these two concepts can help you utilize them to their fullest extent and secure your organization from external threats that seek to compromise your business.
Patch Management
What does patch management mean for your business? Are you consistent in completing and applying patches in a timely manner? Maintaining good practices of patching is a fundamental step in securing your network. Your IT staff must be ready to continuously monitor and update any hardware, software, or applications your organization uses to conduct day-to-day business operations. Working on legacy technology or previous versions of a software can leave you vulnerable and open to attack.
Vulnerability Management
Managing and remediating your organizations vulnerabilities goes hand in hand with patch management, but it also comes with its differences. For starters, vulnerability management services scan for any residual risk left because of an incomplete patch or orphaned software component. Not only is vulnerability management concerned with patch managements effectiveness, but it also scans for any misconfigured servers, hosts, or devices that can leave an organization vulnerable. Through active and passive scanning vulnerability management services are able to better find gaps in your security both on-device and ones that are network-facing.
What's The Difference?
Both patch management and vulnerability management are equally crucial to a business, yet they have very different operations. As mentioned above, patch management is concerned with updating and applying patches to out of date technologies or applications. Vulnerability management encompasses both testing the effectiveness of your patch management as well as diving deeper into finding miss configurations on an organizations IT infrastructure. It's important to understand how both of these concepts work together in order to establish a stronger cybersecurity plan!
If your organization needs help implementation or utilizing either of these systems effectively, look no further than CorpInfoTech. Our V360 service offering allows us to take a holistic approach to vulnerability management. We are also capable of aiding your existing IT staff in any patch management that is necessary.
