A software patch is quite literally a patch to fix a hole in software applications. Most people understand the necessity of patching their anti-virus software but patching your other application software is just as important. While many patches are performance related they often contain fixes for security and stability issues that have been discovered.

When software is written, it is designed for the current operating systems and technological environment. New technologies will often have compatibility issues with older software and patching is the software company’s way of fixing it. We all know how fast technology changes and by patching your software you will be able to continue to use it safely by protecting it from cybercriminals and productively by eliminating system performance issues. Though Microsoft is probably the top company to issues patches on their monthly “Patch Tuesday”, all applications will have periodic patches released and they affect servers, workstations and laptops.

Manual deployment, patch management software and outsourcing are your options when deciding how to manage patching for yourself and your company. Manual deployment involves downloading a patch when you receive an email, pop up or do a periodic check on your software applications website. The downside of handling patching manually is missing a patch alert, unknowingly downloading a patch that will affect other software or systems negatively and not having the management over all the computers in your company. By utilizing patch management software you can effectively manage all of the devices on your network and spot machines that are not up to date but again, the responsibility of research and management will still fall on your shoulders. Outsourcing the job to a qualified IT professional will give you the peace of mind that the patching is being done consistently and correctly. Regardless of the path you choose, software patching is crucial to having a safe and productive computer and network environment.

Mythos Technology is an IT consulting and management firm. For more information, please call (951) 813-2672.

Posted in Technology Management