The Cost of Overlooking Patches

What is Patch Management?

Why Companies Delay Patching?

The True Cost of Delaying Patches

How to Build a Preemptive Patch Management Plan

Automating Patch Management: Is It the Future?

Blue Saffron’s Patch Management Strategy

FAQs About Patch Management Solutions

Picture this: It’s an ordinary workday in the UK. Businesses are running smoothly—until suddenly, they’re not. Employees are being locked out of their systems, customers are unable to access services, and IT teams are scrambling to figure out what went wrong. Sounds dramatic? It happens more often than you’d think.

A vintage example: WannaCry in 2017. The ransomware attack caused havoc on companies worldwide, but the NHS in the UK was particularly badly affected. Hospitals had to cancel 19,000 appointments, including surgeries, purely due to a known flaw that had already been patched—but updates hadn’t yet been applied. The result? A preventable disaster that cost the NHS an estimated £92 million (source).

That’s why Patch Management Solutions are important. Forgetting to update doesn’t only leave you vulnerable to cyber attacks—it compromises your whole business.

Patch management is like keeping your IT systems in good working order. Just as a car needs to be serviced in order to remain roadworthy, your hardware and software require updates in order to be secure and operational.

Patch management is the practice of finding, testing, and applying software patches to fix security vulnerabilities, improve performance, and repair bugs. Updates can be anything from operating systems and programs to firmware on network devices.

Without patching, cybercrooks have an open door. They actively seek out companies that are running older software, looking for chances to take advantage of known vulnerabilities. Once inside, they can steal data, create a disruption, or even ransom your entire system.

Despite the risks, many companies delay installing patches. Why? Here are a few common reasons:

Fear of Downtime

Nobody wants their business to grind to a halt because an update was done incorrectly. Fixing a security breach with a patch is possible, but what about if the patch destroys compatibility with other software? As much as this is a valid concern, not patching vulnerabilities is a higher risk.

Lack of Resources

Not every company has a dedicated IT team. For smaller businesses, patching can feel like an extra task in an already packed schedule. If it’s not broken, why fix it?

“We’re Not a Target”

A common myth for small businesses: Hackers only attack large businesses. The reality? In 2023, over 50% of UK small businesses suffered a cyber attack (source). Hackers don’t only attack big companies—they go after easy opportunities, and an unpatched system is an open invitation.

Ignoring updates isn’t just about security—it’s about financial loss, downtime, and compliance issues. Let’s dissect:

Financial Losses

The average price of a data breach in the UK in 2023 was £4.56 million (source). The majority of them happen due to the fact that the attackers are going for unpatched vulnerabilities.

Operational Downtime

When Travelex was attacked by ransomware in 2020 due to an unpatched system, its whole operation was unavailable for weeks. The financial impact? A whopping £25 million, leading to redundancies and selling the firm (source).

Compliance and Cyber Insurance Effects

If your organisation handles sensitive data, failing to patch can put you out of compliance with laws like GDPR and Cyber Essentials. Furthermore, cyber insurance providers now challenge the patch management policies—if you don’t patch, your insurance might be denied or your premiums increased.

So, how can businesses prevent these risks? A good patch management plan involve:

Prioritise Critical Patches

Not all patches are equal. Prioritise security patches for internet-facing systems first, as they are the most at risk if not patched.

Automate Where Possible

Manually patching each system is time-consuming. Automated Patch Management Solutions automate updates, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Test Before Deployment

A new update can introduce unexpected issues. Test patches in a staging environment prior to applying them to your entire network.

Schedule Regular Patching

Patch management does not have to be an afterthought. Implement a formal schedule to keep your systems up to date.

As AI-driven cybersecurity solutions become a reality, businesses can now automate patching with minimal disruption. Microsoft Endpoint Manager and IBM BigFix are some of the tools that allow organisations to deploy patches without manual intervention.

Benefits of Automated Patch Management

• Fewer Human Mistakes – Automation patches all devices consistently.
• Faster Deployment – Emergency patches can be deployed in hours, rather than days.
• Improved Compliance – Timely patching is required by most industries for regulatory compliance.

The Drawbacks of Automation

Despite the advantages, automation does have some issues:

• False Positives – Automatic tools can falsely identify patches as not necessary or not safe.
• Compatibility Risks – Even patches can still lead to software conflicts, which must be fixed manually.
• Over-Dependence on AI – Human intervention is required to ensure patches don’t disrupt critical business functions.

Patch Management in the Future

Patch management and self-healing capabilities powered by AI will only improve going forward. The goal? Predictive patching, where AI anticipates vulnerabilities before they’re exploited. But companies still require a balance—automation and expert oversight.

At Blue Saffron, we take the pain out of patching. We know that organisations cannot spend hours patching systems manually—or, even worse, leave vulnerabilities open. We designed our strategy to deliver security with zero disruption, using automation in tandem with skilled human oversight.

We provide:

• Automated Patch Deployment – Keeping your systems constantly up-to-date without the human touch.
• Vulnerability Scanning – Identifying potential threats before they become security issues.
• 24/7 Monitoring – Keeping an eye on your IT infrastructure so you don’t have to.
• Compliance Assistance – Helping you comply with industry standards like ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.

We don’t just slap on patches and consider it a day’s work. We work with companies to tailor their patch management strategy—security, uptime, and compliance in balance. Whether you are a small organisation without a full-time IT department or a larger company in need of a more extensive patching regimen, we provide the know-how to get and keep your systems patched and running smoothly.

Next Steps: Is Your Business Secure?

Cyber attackers don’t strike at a convenient time, and security threats evolve daily. Your business isn’t actively addressing patches, you’re at risk of falling behind—and, more importantly, being a target.

Blue Saffron helps businesses be proactive about cybersecurity. Let’s discuss how we can strengthen your patch management approach and keep your systems secure.

What is patch management, and why is it significant?

Patch management maintains software up to date with security patches and performance updates, reducing cyber threats and downtime.

How often should companies apply patches?

Critical security patches must be applied immediately. Other updates can be on a scheduled basis, such as weekly or monthly.

What are the ramifications of not patching systems?

Unpatched systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, data breaches, and ransomware. Delays can also lead to compliance failures and increased cyber insurance premiums.