It takes a village to protect your company’s hardware, data, and digital assets. Since bugs and viruses can affect your information, having a professional manage your IT network protects you from liability. Software developers often provide patches to correct glitches and defend against malware. Implementing these fixes may be time-consuming, but there are some steps you can take to streamline the process. To help you keep your system secure while remaining efficient, here are some ways to facilitate patch management. 

How to Improve Patch Management for Your Company’s IT Network

Create a Flow of Operations

Detail a workflow that illustrates how to deploy, install, and validate patches—and who will be in charge of making these decisions. This might be an IT team onsite that’s tasked with handling all network operations. If you want to reduce costs, you can also employ a managed IT service provider to handle these responsibilities without being on payroll. 

Take a Detailed Inventory

Develop an inventory that lists the specific software and hardware that your IT network uses. This might include electronics, Wi-Fi equipment, content management software, and other network systems used around the office. With these details, your IT team will know which assets to check on a regular basis to ensure optimal performance. They’ll also have the information they need to correct issues promptly when you encounter a problem. 

Prepare an Action Plan

Since security threats and bugs can threaten important components and files, your team should develop a plan to ensure any viruses are quickly flagged. They may also encrypt files to make them harder to access for those without permissions. To prevent bugs from resulting in security breaches, automated patch management systems can scan for issues around the clock to ensure no security failure goes undetected.

When you want greater peace of mind about your organization’s patch management process, turn to the specialists at WheelHouse Solutions. Providing managed IT services to companies in the Midwest, this team is known for customizing strategies that simplify operations, improve security, and resolve threats. In addition to optimizing your IT network, they can also introduce you to automated solutions to save you time and money. Learn more about their managed services online or call (314) 492-2506 to discuss your company’s needs.