FAQs
Have Questions?
What does a patch management audit measure?
The audit measures patch coverage by asset class, mean time to patch by severity, third-party application patching status, exception inventory and aging, and alignment with industry benchmarks. The output is a written report with metrics, a long-tail inventory of systems that have fallen behind, and a remediation plan ranked by risk exposure.
Will the audit cover servers, endpoints, and network gear?
Yes. A full patch audit covers Windows and Linux servers, hypervisor and firmware updates, workstation operating systems, third-party applications including browsers and runtimes, mobile device updates where managed, network device firmware on switches, routers, and firewalls, and cloud workload patching when applicable. Each asset class is reported separately.
How long does a patch audit take?
Most Houston small and mid-sized business audits run two to three weeks. The variation depends on how many patch management tools are in use, how much manual process exists, and how complete the asset inventory is. The deliverable is a written report with patch latency metrics, coverage gaps, and a prioritized remediation path.
What if our line-of-business app blocks patching?
This is common in Houston, particularly with construction estimating software, oil and gas applications, and legacy practice management tools. The audit documents the exception, reviews the compensating controls in place, and identifies whether the vendor has a path forward. Some exceptions are legitimate. Some are simply old habits that the audit ends.
How often should patch programs be re-audited?
Annual full audits are the floor. Most Houston mid-market businesses benefit from quarterly metric reviews and an annual deep audit. Continuous tooling provides daily visibility, but the audit produces the third-party assessment and the executive-level summary that drives budget and process changes when the metrics need to improve.
