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Patching Remote Endpoints

As the proliferation of mobile devices and cloud computing continues, desktop computers and hardwired network systems are increasingly becoming relics of the past. Consequently, the remote and mobile workforce is swelling in size as access to the internet, the allure of the cloud, and advances in tablet and smartphone technologies all allow employees to work from where they are — whether from home, traveling for business, or anywhere else outside of the office. After all, every employee is comforted to know they can leave the office but still remain productive and in touch.

On average, the typical digital consumer of today owns 3.64 connected devices, from smartphones to laptops, tablets to wearables, and more. And that number is only set to increase as the number of devices per person will expand to 4.3 according to a report from Strategy Analytics.

In addition to offering employees the ability to stay in the loop and contribute from wherever they work best, advances in mobile and cloud computing technologies also provide businesses of all sizes with solutions for growth. As security professionals know all too well, there’s a dark and unfortunate downside to enabling a remote and mobile workforce — ensuring this growing number of remote endpoints are secure.

Today, cloud-based options provide the solutions needed in order to secure remote endpoints, but as the number of remote devices in a company’s infrastructure continues increasing, security procedures surrounding the patching and management of these endpoints has struggled to keep pace. In today’s “always on” business environment, maintaining data security across your entire network has never been more demanding.

Long gone are the days of not having to patch on a weekly or sometimes even a daily basis. Whether you understand that patching is a vital component of securing your computer software or you maintain the lofty ideal that software should be coded perfectly, patching is essential in the modern network environment of today — especially for those devices that are not always tethered to your network.

Manual patching is no longer a viable option as it often leads to systems that remain unpatched for months, even years. Making matters worse, remote employees with the potential to connect to insecure networks are among the highest risks to your network. Further, remote users often connect to the company network over slow or unreliable connections, making patching difficult.

Many companies use software packages designed to scan machines on a network, discover which patches are missing and automatically deploy the necessary fixes, but how should these organizations patch the devices of employees who aren't always connected to the network or available on site?

Today, companies need a cloud-based, automated patch management solution to ensure 100 percent patched status. Instead of relying on internal patch testing and deployment procedures, remote machines ought be configured to automatically retrieve and apply patches and updates. Some solutions can even verify the current patch status of remote machines attempting to connect to the network.

Enter Automox. With our cloud-based, flexible patching solution, IT teams can automatically check for, test, and apply patches across all endpoints — remote or on premises. Better yet, Automox ensures updates are actually applied in a timely matter and patch deployment schedules can be customized based on geography, department, or patch severity, all without the need for manual intervention. Automox allows you to remotely install software on any endpoint to ensure that every device is up to date with the current version of required software.

About Automox

Facing growing threats and a rapidly expanding attack surface, understaffed and alert-fatigued organizations need more efficient ways to eliminate their exposure to vulnerabilities. Automox is a modern cyber hygiene platform that closes aperture of attack by more than 80% with just half the effort of traditional solutions.

Cloud-based and globally available, Automox enforces OS & third-party patch management, security configurations, and custom scripting across Windows, Mac, and Linux from a single intuitive console. IT and SecOps can quickly gain control and share visibility of on-prem, remote and virtual endpoints without the need to deploy costly infrastructure.

Experience modern, cloud-based patch management today with a 15-day free trial of Automox and start recapturing more than half the time you're currently spending on managing your attack surface. Automox dramatically reduces corporate risk while raising operational efficiency to deliver best-in-class security outcomes, faster and with fewer resources.