Page 50 - Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2022 Edition

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Unpatched software is a real cybersecurity risk which can result in data breaches that have severe
monetary and reputational consequences. Some of the largest breaches in history were a result of
unpatched software. Equifax was forced to pay a settlement of $425 million to victims of their data breach
caused by a known, unpatched software vulnerability. And this weakness continues to serve as an easy
avenue for attackers to breach a businesses’ data. In 2021, unpatched software vulnerabilities were one
of the most common attack vectors for hackers. A recent study by Ponemon Institute and ServiceNow
showed that nearly 50% of the respondents reported having one or more data breaches in the last two
years, and 60% of breached companies stated those attacks may have occurred due to an unpatched
vulnerability.

Yet because of the focus on the huge corporations and the major implications of attacks on them, small-
and medium-sized businesses have been lured into a false sense of security that they’re not at risk
because they’re not as big a target. The reality is that these types of attacks can happen to any company,
big or small. That means it’s essential for all businesses to develop resources to defend themselves
against this pervasive and growing threat. A challenge for smaller companies is they often have less
financial resources available for cybersecurity. If a business has a limited IT budget and needs to focus
on one area of digital security, they should focus on APM which can provide a solution that secures a
company’s critical digital assets at minimal cost.

Here are three main reasons why APM is the best solution out there today to protect companies large
and small from digital vulnerabilities:

1–APM is better than manual patch management
Info Security Magazine reported that more than 18,000 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs)
were published last year — that’s an average of around 50 CVEs a day, making it nearly impossible to
keep track of every one manually. By using APM, you’ll always be up-to-date with the latest patches for
operating systems and applications. So even if your company is managing a small fleet of computers,
APM is the best option as it precludes the possibility of forgetting to check for updates or installing a patch
incorrectly due to human error.

2–APM mitigates risk for employees
Because APM automatically installs new updates, IT managers don’t have to rely on their device end
users to install patches on their own. It’s also convenient, making it easy to centrally monitor the patching
status of your IT environment with every device running APM available in one online portal. This allows
you to upload and install all necessary patches to your devices automatically, so your IT manager doesn't
have to manually search for new patches every time.

3–APM means better productivity
Devices running the most up-to-date versions of software will have better performance overall. That
means productivity increases as your device users don’t have to struggle with performance issues or
bugs. Both employees and IT managers will spend far less time worrying about keeping software up to
date as well, leading to even more increased productivity.

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