Patch / Patching

How it works

• Makers publish patches for Windows, Office, browsers, routers and more.
• Attackers study each patch to learn the hole it closes, then target machines that have not applied it.
• Patching works best on a schedule, with a report of what was applied and when.
• Equipment past end of support gets no patch.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A five-person accounting firm had “install updates later” clicked on every PC for months. A flaw in a PDF reader, patched in March, was used in June to install a credential stealer when a client sent an invoice.

How WILDCARD handles it

Patch Management keeps Windows, Office and Chrome current on every covered computer and reports what was patched and when.

• A dental office wants updates applied overnight so the morning schedule never waits on a reboot.
• A law firm needs proof for its insurer that all computers are patched within 30 days.
• A contractor's laptops are rarely in the office and still need updates pushed wherever they are.

Example scenario: A small non-profit had six PCs with Chrome two years out of date because nobody was logged in long enough for it to update. A malicious ad on a legitimate news site used a known Chrome flaw to install malware on two of them. After patching went in, the same flaw was closed on every machine within a day.

A question owners ask

Why can't I just let Windows update itself?

Windows Update handles Windows. It skips Chrome, Adobe, Zoom and the rest, and it will wait forever if someone keeps clicking later. Managed patching covers all of it and proves it happened.