How to Manage Automatic Software Updates for Your Business
IT Support
Frazer Lloyd-Davies
Running a business means dealing with software updates whether you like it or not. They seem simple enough – install the update, job done – but actually there’s quite a bit more to it than that. Your systems need these updates to run effectively and, more importantly, they help keep your networks secure against cyber threats.
Most people get that updates are important. The thing is, just making sure they happen isn’t really enough. You’ve got to think about how they’re managed because nobody wants their team interrupted by update notifications or having systems restart unexpectedly in the middle of important work. Automatic software updates sound like they’d solve this problem, and in some ways they do. But it’s not as simple as setting them up and letting them do their work.
What Are Automatic Software Updates?
Automatic software updates are processes where your software applies critical updates without asking for confirmation from a user. Software providers such as Microsoft are constantly updating their products and rolling out updates to users. There are really two main reasons why this happens.
Firstly, software updates ensure that a product or service remains fit for purpose. It isn’t viable to keep producing something completely new every time and customers wouldn’t want to buy a product that was only a slightly modified version of the last one. So, updates ensure that users remain satisfied with a product and stay loyal to that brand.
On the other hand, many pieces of software are so vast (think of an operating system such as Windows) that there are inevitably going to be mistakes made or weaknesses in the software that can be exploited by those wishing to cause businesses harm. Software companies work tirelessly to find these mistakes, errors or weaknesses and fix them so they cannot cause potential damage. When they’re found, they’re ‘patched’ and these patches form the basis of many updates.
Regular software updates make your systems more secure by ensuring your products are well maintained and less likely to fall victim to known vulnerabilities. If you don’t perform software updates, your IT security will continue to get weaker over time, as vulnerabilities are left open and available to be exploited.
Why Your Business Needs to Take Updates Seriously
The time between when a vulnerability is discovered and when you install the patch creates a dangerous window of risk. If you delay installing security updates, your business stays exposed to attacks targeting these known weak spots. This is particularly worrying for companies in regulated sectors like legal services and financial organisations, where protecting data is absolutely critical.
The WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 affected thousands of organisations worldwide, primarily hitting systems that hadn’t installed available Windows security updates. Incidents like this show just how quickly criminals can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities and why keeping your software up to date is essential for keeping your business running.
When you’re handling sensitive data, delayed updates can actually land you in legal trouble. Many compliance frameworks specifically require organisations to maintain current security measures, which makes patch management a legal obligation rather than just good practice.
Different Types of Updates and What They Mean for Your Business
Not all updates are created equal. Understanding the different types helps you prioritise which ones need immediate attention and which can wait for a convenient time.
- Critical Security Updates fix vulnerabilities that pose immediate security risks. These should be installed quickly, ideally within days of release. Delaying critical security updates leaves your business exposed to active threats that cybercriminals are probably already trying to exploit.
- Routine Security Updates provide ongoing protection against newly discovered vulnerabilities that aren’t quite as urgent. While still important for long-term security, these can typically be scheduled for convenient times without creating immediate security risks.
- Feature Updates add new functionality, improve how things look or make performance better. While these can increase productivity, they carry a higher risk of causing compatibility problems and can usually be tested thoroughly before rolling them out.
- Driver Updates make sure your hardware works properly with your operating system and applications. These can significantly affect how stable your systems are, so careful testing is essential before installing them everywhere.
Should Automatic Updates Be Turned On or Off?
As a rule of thumb, automatic software updates should be turned on. However, this should only be the case if someone is actually managing them. Turning automatic updates on and just leaving them alone is asking for trouble.
These automatic updates will happen when the software provider decides they should, which might not be at a time that’s suitable for your business. If you’ve ever seen an update notification and clicked “remind me later,” you’ll understand that this can happen at any moment. You don’t want computers deciding when they update, because it will inevitably disrupt and frustrate your workforce.
While software updates are well-intentioned, they can occasionally cause problems. Although they’ll be thoroughly tested, this is often in isolation or with standard hardware setups. They won’t have been tested in your specific environment and some changes, however small, may not be compatible with your particular IT setup. This means an automatic update might cause your IT to stop working altogether, which will be even worse if it happens automatically during an inconvenient moment.
The Smart Way to Manage Automatic Updates
The most efficient approach for many businesses is to find a middle ground – managed software updates. This is also known as patch management and can be handled by a managed IT services provider.
In this setup, your IT support provider takes responsibility for managing any software updates. You get the benefits of automatic software updates in that you and your users don’t need to do anything, but also with the caution that comes from doing things manually.
Here, an IT company will set updates to run out of hours, test updates before releasing them and be able to roll back any updates that cause problems, all while your workforce can carry on with their day. Also, with the knowledge of an IT managed services provider behind you, they’ll be able to understand patch notes (which detail updates and are often full of technical jargon) and work out whether they’re likely to cause any problems with your existing setup.
Best Practices for Managing Updates Properly
- Set Up Proper Testing by keeping test systems that match your actual setup. Install updates on test systems first, giving you time to spot potential problems before rolling them out to everyone. This prevents widespread disruptions caused by problematic updates.
- Create Sensible Schedules that work with your business operations. Schedule routine updates during quiet hours, weekends or planned maintenance times when system interruptions won’t cause major problems. Critical security updates might need more flexible timing to address urgent threats quickly.
- Roll Things Out Gradually by installing updates on small groups of systems first, then slowly expanding as you confirm everything’s working properly. This lets you identify and fix issues before they affect your whole organisation.
- Keep Records of which updates have been installed, when they were deployed and any problems you encountered. This documentation is valuable for troubleshooting and shows you’re meeting security requirements.
- Have a Backup Plan for quickly reversing updates that cause operational problems. Having tested rollback procedures means you can restore functionality quickly while working out permanent solutions.
Get Update Management From Acronyms
Managing software updates properly requires ongoing attention, technical knowledge and structured processes that many businesses find challenging to maintain internally. Professional IT support services can transform update management from a time-consuming headache into a seamlessly managed process.
The most efficient way for many businesses to manage automatic software updates is through professional patch management services. This means you get all the security benefits while someone else handles the technical complexity and timing.
Acronyms provides patch management as part of our IT support services. We keep your systems secure while eliminating disruption to your business operations. Our approach ensures updates are tested, scheduled and deployed according to your business requirements, giving you peace of mind while maintaining the security your business needs.
If you would like to find out more about how we can support your IT needs and manage your software updates, please book a consultation.