Managing IT infrastructure updates

Andrew Carr  at Camwood explains how to support scalability while maintaining control over IT infrastructure updates

 

As part of the application lifecycle management process, implementing an effective server patching and device rollout strategy is critical, but it also cannot stand in the way of greater agility and scalability.

 

However, with such updates proving to be a minefield, where do organisations start? To achieve application maturity, businesses must move beyond policies and procedures and consider the tools, knowledge and wider culture required to enable effective management of infrastructure updates.

 

The problems with patching

Maintaining infrastructure is no easy feat, particularly in the context of patching. In applying updates to eradicate potential vulnerabilities that cyber attackers could potentially exploit, it remains one of the most important processes to secure technology. While it’s a basic principle to achieve enhanced security, actually enabling effective patch management isn’t always a simple undertaking. Patching can be time-consuming and costly, and as a repetitive task can lead to mistakes due to human error.

 

Visibility can also be a concern. Without knowing exactly what an IT estate is made up of, it’s impossible to know where patching needs to be directed. Comprehensive estates with a variety of applications makes the challenge even more difficult.

 

In some cases, a failed patch roll-out can be as detrimental as a cyber-attack itself, creating downtime for a number of employees. They can also inadvertently break a device or application if the current state of IT equipment hasn’t been deciphered.

 

Patch management can also frequently be considered an IT responsibility, with the wider business failing to understand the value associated with patching. Ultimately, while IT employees may have jurisdiction over the servers in the business, wider organisations own the data, meaning they need to be involved.

 

Roll-out risks

Infrastructure updates must also be considered in the context of device roll-out. An attractive target for cyber criminals, unsecured IoT endpoints could be the gateway for bad actors to access company data and hold an organisation to ransom.

 

Shadow IT is also becoming a major issue, where employees are frequently using their own devices in the organisational network without approval from the IT department, and potential vulnerabilities are therefore falling off the radar. This also raises concerns around the tracking of assets and associated applications, with workers frequently in remote locations and on the move with mobile devices in tow.

 

In terms of deployment, new applications and updates frequently need to be deployed to potentially thousands of devices simultaneously, which can lead to challenges in terms of meeting compliance regulations. Businesses require a solution to securely manage any device and endpoint throughout its lifecycle.

 

Regular refreshes

To overcome the struggles associated with infrastructure updates, an overarching evergreen mindset needs to be adopted. This ethos is based around the regular refreshing of software with small iterative updates at frequent intervals.

 

This way, devices and applications don’t ever become fully outdated as security patches are applied on a routine basis. Those that adopt such processes will less likely be exposed to security risks and this reduces the opportunity for any vulnerabilities to be exploited.

 

Automated testing is also a critical element of application best practice, which allows organisations to ensure effective roll-out across a number of devices. Developers can then assess whether a latest application iteration is compatible across numerous environments, such as mobile, desktop or virtual desktop, without the need for manual installs. To accelerate upgrade cycles, pre-approved packages can also be deployed in a single click.

 

Cultivating a culture

To make the evergreen approach a reality, both the right people and technology solutions need to be in place. While some businesses will create dedicated teams within their IT departments to focus on the ongoing process, for others this strategy can be immensely time-consuming and overwhelming. Deployment of patches needs to be embedded into business-as-usual activities, without impacting on business growth.

 

The key is adopting the technologies of a partner to ensure that end-to-end processes are fully automated and time-consuming manual tasks can be eradicated, such as in the device roll-out process. By working in tandem with the right specialist, organisations can effectively outsource tasks while being safe in the knowledge that infrastructure updates are being tended to.

 

Critically, cultivating an evergreen culture will involve all departments across the business, not just those in IT. For organisations that opt to manage the process in-house, employees should leverage the knowledge of external experts to gain control of infrastructure updates and regain focus on agility and scalability.

 

Adopting this strategy will ultimately help to bring the IT departments and wider business together due to an aligned mindset.

 

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Andrew Carr is Managing Director at Camwood

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com