The Reality of Patch Neglect
Every breach report tells the same story: attackers don’t need zero-days when organisations leave critical patches unapplied. In 2025, ransomware groups exploit vulnerabilities within 72 hours of disclosure. Yet enterprises still average 60+ days to patch.
Common Excuses vs Reality
- “Patching breaks production.”
→ True if done ad hoc. Mitigated with staging environments and snapshots. - “We don’t have resources.”
→ Automation tools (Ansible, WSUS, Satellite) cut effort dramatically. - “We didn’t know.”
→ Subscription to vendor advisories and CISA’s KEV list solves this.
Practical Checklist
- Subscribe to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV).
- Maintain asset inventory — you cannot patch what you don’t know you own.
- Automate patching (cron jobs, Ansible, WSUS for mixed estates).
- Pair with vulnerability scanning (OpenVAS, Nessus, Qualys).
Case Example: CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell)
Still exploited today. Many firms patched apps but ignored embedded libraries. Lesson: “one and done” patching doesn’t exist; continuous monitoring is required.
Why Clients Care
- Board members increasingly held legally liable for negligence.
- Regulators expect a documented patch policy.
- Insurers may void cyber policies if patches are missed.
Security gaps in Linux and cloud systems risk downtime, data compromise, lost business — and compliance failures.
With 20+ years’ experience and active UK Security Check (SC) clearance, I harden Linux and cloud platforms for government, corporate, and academic sectors — ensuring secure, compliant, and resilient infrastructure.