How Cloud Patch Management Solves Problems for MSPs

For MSPs, keeping devices patched and updated can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to fall behind on this important function. But delaying patching and updates comes with significant risks. One study found that in 60% of data breaches, the cause was a known vulnerability — with an available patch that wasn’t applied.

In this post, we’ll outline the challenges of patch management for MSPs and explore how cloud patch management enhances client security and keeps client systems and devices running smoothly.

7 challenges of patch management for MSPs

As an MSP, you’re dealing with an incredibly complex patch management environment. Challenges abound, and include:

• Patch overload across clients: You need to manage a high volume of patches across multiple client environments, making it difficult to efficiently prioritize and deploy updates. Centralized, cloud-based and automated patch management is an effective way to scale and streamline patch updates at volume and scale (we’ll get into the details later).
• Problems with compatibility: Different systems and applications can create compatibility issues when installing patches. You need to understand the potential impact of patches on various configurations and systems and test them before rollout. This involves creating test environments that mirror clients’ production systems, plus you need rollback options in place to avert disaster if issues arise during deployment.
• Customizing priority: Prioritizing patches by their importance — like critical security updates over routine updates — is a best practice. But there’s no template MSPs can use for every client. Patch prioritization is unique to client systems and software.
• Coordinating deployment: Schedule coordination remains a key challenge for MSPs, who are tasked with scheduling patch deployment in a way that minimizes disruptions across various client business hours. Often, patches need to be scheduled for off-peak hours to prevent down time and minimize business impact.
• Compliance requirements: MSPs must ensure systems are secure and data is safe for all their clients. This is particularly important in industries with strict data protection regulations. Patch management must align with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA.
• Legacy systems management: Outdated software and legacy systems may no longer receive official security updates, requiring you to take additional security measures. This is a common challenge for many MSPs, particularly when updates must be made manually. It’s easy to fall behind when automation can’t be applied.
• Patch status visibility: MSPs often struggle with maintaining visibility about patch status across client endpoints and environments. Without full insights into patch status, MSPs might miss failed patches and pending updates.

Integrating cloud-based patch management into your MSP workflow

Cloud patch management is the best way to keep software and systems up-to-date. And cloud RMM software includes this essential functionality.

With cloud-based patch management, you can:

Manage patches and assets from a single dashboard

Using a single platform is a best practice for patch management and remote monitoring. You can create and apply patch management policies for every client, monitor device health, and ensure all technicians have access to the same information.

Automate the patch management process

Patch management software for MSPs lets you easily customize prioritization rules for client patches. You can decide which patches to automate and when to apply them. You can also set rules that prevent a hard reboot during client business hours.

Cloud patch management tools can also detect patches the moment they’re available and can alert technicians based on rules you define. Platforms that include PowerShell scripting give you the ability to customize actions down to the most granular detail.

Analyze patch metrics

Cloud patch management software lets you see failed, rejected, and recently installed patches, open alerts, and more. This data refreshes regularly and gives you real-time oversight of patch status across your entire IT ecosystem in a single dashboard. Plus, you can easily organize this data into a client report to help demonstrate the value of your services.

Work from anywhere

With cloud-based patch management, technicians can manage patches from wherever they are, test rollouts, and check in on client devices and IT environments.

Support compliance

Detailed reports on patch status and deployment history may be essential for audits — and at the very least, they can document your due diligence in protecting client assets. And the ability to prioritize (and quickly deploy) critical security updates makes it much easier to meet stringent data protection mandates.

Fuel growth

As your MSP business expands and takes on more clients, cloud patch management tools allow you to maintain consistent service quality. With centralized management, you’ll handle patches across multiple client environments with the same level of effort — this is what enables scalability.

Cloud patch management is better with Syncro

Syncro’s Customizable OS Patch Management lets you customize patching based on priority and category, with options to allow, reject, or defer updates. But patch management is just one part of Syncro’s comprehensive MSP software platform.

You can manage all client work and operations within Syncro, and sync real-time service details with billing and invoicing. You can also use AI-powered Smart Ticket Management to support your technicians and organize tasks. Best of all, Syncro stores every action and tracks every task, so you’ll never lose critical information.

At Syncro, we believe it’s better to show than tell. Book a demo to tour our platform and see for yourself why you need Syncro.

Enjoy this article? Share it!