Patch management software has become increasingly more important for marketing agencies looking to stay ahead of the curve.
With multiple devices and applications being used by writers, designers, web developers and sales/management teams, a number of different disciplines are encompassed with a variety of software needed for the daily tasks associated with these roles, often in complex remote environments.
Manually updating and patching software is no longer a valid option for most marketing agencies.
Automatic patch management tools will take care of most of the leg work by analysing and identifying which applications need to be updated and scheduling any upcoming patches so as not to interfere with normal business activity.
Dangers of Not Using Patch Management Software
Marketing agencies that decide against patch management tools and opt to process updates manually can be exposed to risk in several key areas -
Downtime—without effective patch management solutions in place, marketing companies run the risk of having significant impacts on their business continuity. If clients’ websites and associated businesses are connected to servers being run by the marketing company, then any downtime while patches are installed can result in literally hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost revenue, depending on the scale of the client's business.
Cybersecurity—one of the key aspects of effective patch management is a robust defence against cybercrime. Online marketing companies who neglect to install patch management solutions may develop chinks in their armour from a cybersecurity standpoint and have increased vulnerability against known methods of cyber attacks and data breaches that have since been identified and rectified in the latest updates.
Regulatory Compliance–often, when digital marketing companies are considering the use of automated patch management, compliance is not really the main driving factor. However, there is a significant chance that failing to keep all applications and devices fully updated could mean that businesses fall foul of certain regulations, such as the GDPR, especially where personal data is concerned. For example, if you hold all the personal details of around 2,000 customers and out-of-date software results in their data being compromised, this could result in a serious compliance issue for your marketing firm.
Selecting the Best Patch Management Solutions for Your Marketing Business
With a wide range of solutions available with varying functionality, finding the most appropriate system can be quite complicated. What should you look for when selecting a patch management solution for your marketing business?
User-friendly Interface
Any patch management solutions used by digital marketing companies should ideally feature a user-friendly dashboard that provides up-to-date and detailed information on the status of patches and security. Patch management software that is easy to use by staff members can cut down on labour hours and increase productivity, whereas more complicated systems may have the opposite effect and actually add to the workload with extra training and staff competency needed.
Integration
Any patch management software you choose should integrate well with existing systems and any third-party applications. There should also be no effect on the overall system performance or slowdown resulting from the use of the patch management software
Good patch management solutions should integrate with the help desk itself, any backup systems and most major Microsoft applications and other third-party applications such as Google Chrome, etc.
With an increasing amount of cyber attacks and data breaches being facilitated through third-party applications, and a wide variety of applications being used by different companies, it is now more important than ever to ensure your patch management solution is fully integrated with any third-party applications.
Patch Management Testing
For marketing companies, it's helpful if the patch management solution provides the option for business owners to test the patch installation within a closed testing environment and allow them to do a trial run before deploying the patches onto live systems.
This prevents the likelihood of issues whereby the system cannot cope with any changes and ends up crashing or resulting in downtime for the marketing firm and its customers.
Detailed Scanning and Automatic Updates
Among the key features of patch management tools for marketing agencies are detailed scanning and automatic updates to any patches needed.
A good patch management solution should be able to provide in-depth scanning at the scale needed for your business. Scalable solutions allow you to protect even the most complex remote network environments.
Using an automatic or AI-based patch management system is also recommended for marketing firms as it allows them to free up their IT department to work on more critical issues.
Live Support
Any patch management software used by marketing agencies should ideally feature live support, with 24/7 help desks and product training for your staff.
With critical business infrastructure on the line from both your and your clients’ systems, you don't want to be left in the dark when something goes wrong.
Full support and training should be provided, although ideally the patch management tool you select for your marketing business should require minimal training for staff members and be reasonably user-friendly for someone without expert experience to be able to use. Any complicated systems that require extensive training would need to be factored into the cost when choosing a patch management application.
Contact Lyon
For more information on patch management solutions, cybersecurity, or any advanced technology that may benefit your marketing business, contact Lyon today and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
