Key points
- Why Patch Management Is Critical in 2026: Most breaches exploit known vulnerabilities with available patches, making timely patch management essential.
- Follow a Structured Process: Create a patch management policy, maintain a complete asset inventory, and continuously monitor patch availability.
- Prioritize Risk-Based Patching: Focus on high-risk vulnerabilities using a vulnerability management approach.
- Test and Deploy Quickly: Use a controlled testing environment and then deploy patches promptly to minimize the window between disclosure and exploitation.
- Automate with Patch Management Software: Implement automated patch management tools to streamline patch deployment and reduce manual workload.
- Document and Track Patch Compliance: Maintain detailed records of patching activities to ensure patch compliance, reporting, and audit readiness.
In 2024, Verizon reported in its Data Breach Investigations Report that a majority of breaches exploited known vulnerabilities with available (but undeployed) patches. This came as a result of these vulnerabilities not being remediated fast enough in a cyber threat landscape that grew continuously—as it does to this day.
For this reason, patch management (the process of organizing, testing, and applying patches to your organization’s assets) is more crucial than ever, and paying attention to patch management best practices is important in preventing cyberattacks.
Why patch management matters more in 2026
Patch management has evolved from routine maintenance into a critical cybersecurity function. In 2026, the speed and sophistication of cyberattacks mean that unpatched vulnerabilities are often exploited within days or even hours of disclosure.
Attackers now move quickly, with exploit code often released soon after vulnerabilities are made public. This shortens the window between disclosure and the attack, making delayed patching a major risk. Furthermore, ransomware groups and automated tools actively scan for known vulnerabilities. Instead of breaking in, attackers often exploit systems that simply haven’t been patched, as evidenced in the aforementioned 2024 DBIR of Verizon.
Now modern IT environments—including remote work, cloud services, and third-party applications—have increased the number of potential entry points. This makes consistent, comprehensive patching more important than ever.
Enhance IT workflows with a purpose-built patch management solution.
8 patch management best practices
To ensure that patches are correctly deployed and applied to software and systems, it’s important to follow proven best practices that reduce risks and streamline the process.
1. Create a patch management policy
To guide your patch management efforts and ensure they align with your organization’s goals, begin by creating a patch management policy. This policy should be fairly comprehensive and provide necessary details for the patch management process. Check out how to create a patch management policy.
2. Inventory assets that require patching
Make a list of all the assets in your IT environment that require patches to the software. If you already have an existing IT asset inventory, it’ll be much easier to determine which assets require patching. Patch management is only effective if you ensure that all your assets are continuously accounted for and updated.
3. Establish asset vulnerability
Some of your organizational assets may carry more risk than others. Determine which of your assets are the most vulnerable and make sure to prioritize patches for these assets using a vulnerability management process.
4. Monitor patch availability
Keeping track of the patches that software or system developers produce helps you to be in the know about what certain patches aim to address and when they’re made available. It can also give you time to prepare for upcoming patches and ensure your pre-deployment patch process works effectively.
5. Adequately test patches
Sometimes introducing a patch into a program or system may end up causing additional issues. Before you apply a patch broadly, set up a test environment where you can safely deploy a patch and check to see if any issues arise. When testing has deemed a patch safe in execution, you can move forward in the patching process.
6. Deploy and apply patches promptly
Patches are created to address existing vulnerabilities in your IT assets. That said, the longer you wait to deploy and apply the patches to your assets, the more risk there is of your systems becoming compromised. Form a streamlined process that allows you to quickly verify the effectiveness of a patch, and as soon as it’s verified, deploy the patch to your endpoints.
7. Use patch management software
Patch management is much easier and more streamlined when carried out through patch management software. It allows you to manage and secure all your endpoints, automate patching processes, and reduce both the cost and complexity of patching. Let patching software do the heavy lifting of large and repetitive tasks of a patch management process while you spend more time ensuring the process works efficiently.
8. Document all patching efforts
Record all the steps taken and tasks completed for patching using IT documentation software. This can include
- creating a list of patches as they become available,
- making notes about patch testing, and
- documenting patches that are successfully deployed.
Just as important as following the above best practices is knowing what not to do, which can save you time and headaches. Our video “Patch Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” walks through the most common pitfalls to avoid.
In addition, learn how customers like GSDSolutions are able to reduce their printing-related tickets by 90% with automation and patch management:
“From a functionality perspective, patch management is really easy to [set up] and automate—and it really just works. NinjaOne’s remote-control integrations are fast and reliable. The remote tools—like the remote command line/PowerShell tool, file explorer, and task [manager]—make fixing issues easy without interrupting end users.”
— Mark Andres, Director of IT Services at GSDSolutions
Reduce hours on patching with the #1 platform for IT management.
Manage your patches with NinjaOne
Patch management can be extremely effective, especially if your organization is taking the necessary steps and following these tried-and-true best practices. For additional recommendations and insights, download our patch management best practices guide.
NinjaOne’s patch management software is packed with features such as OS patching, application patching, patch automation, and patch reporting. An added bonus is that no infrastructure is required, making it easy to set up and start using with any internet connection. Sign up for a free trial of the software today.
