Vulnerability Management

3 Strategies to Overcome the Challenges of Third-Party Patching and Application Management

The need to ensure that these applications are regularly patched and updated is critical, yet often complicated by integration issues, operational constraints, and the dynamic nature of application environments. Here are three effective strategies to enhance your approach to third-party patching and application management.

1. Implement Centralized Vulnerability Management

Challenge: Fragmented vulnerability management leads to blind spots in your patching strategy. With multiple applications sourced from different vendors, tracking vulnerabilities across these platforms can become overwhelming.

Solution: Adopt a centralized vulnerability management platform like vRx to streamline the discovery, prioritization, and remediation processes for third-party applications. Utilize tools that integrate with existing systems to consolidate information from various sources, such as CVEs and vendor advisories. For example, vRx can integrate reports from platforms like Qualys, allowing teams to access a comprehensive view of vulnerabilities across their environment.

Action Item: Regularly scan your infrastructure for third-party applications and automate the integration of vulnerability data into your central management platform. This will ensure that you maintain a holistic view of your vulnerability landscape, making it easier to prioritize patches based on risk.

2. Leverage Virtual Patching for Immediate Protection

Challenge: Some third-party applications cannot be updated immediately due to operational constraints or compatibility issues, creating windows of exposure that can be exploited by attackers.

Solution: Implement virtual patching as a compensating control for applications without available patches. This approach allows you to create a "force field" around vulnerable applications, mitigating risks until a proper patch can be deployed. For instance, if an organization relies on a proprietary application that cannot be updated without significant downtime, virtual patching provides an immediate layer of security.

Action Item: Identify high-risk applications in your environment and deploy virtual patching solutions to safeguard these applications while awaiting vendor patches. Regularly review the effectiveness of these virtual patches and adjust them as new vulnerabilities emerge.

3. Automate Application Updates and Patching Workflows

Challenge: Manual patching processes are not only time-consuming but also prone to human error, leading to missed updates and security vulnerabilities.

Solution: Automate the patch management workflow for third-party applications to streamline the update process. Tools like vRx allow you to create playbooks for automated patching, enabling you to schedule installations and manage updates across different platforms—Windows, Mac, and Linux. Users can customize update settings for specific asset groups, ensuring that critical applications are prioritized.

Action Item: Develop and implement automation scripts that can handle routine patching tasks for third-party applications. Schedule these scripts during off-peak hours to minimize disruptions while ensuring timely updates.

Conclusion

Effective management of third-party applications is crucial for maintaining a secure IT environment. By centralizing vulnerability management, leveraging virtual patching, and automating patch workflows, organizations can overcome the challenges associated with third-party patching and application management. With these strategies in place, IT and security teams can enhance their security posture, reduce risk, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Moreover, vRx by Vicarius offers the largest coverage for third-party applications, ensuring that your patch management efforts can effectively address a wide range of vulnerabilities across your infrastructure.

Register today for a free trial.

Agnayee Datta

Agnayee runs marketing at Vicarius

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