Why Keep Content Management Systems Up-to-date with Patches?

The management and administration of Content Management Systems (CMS) continues to be a challenge. For one, it is extremely resource intensive.

Software updates perform a number of important roles like fixing bugs and feature improvements but at the same time, they import a number of probable challenges that have to be later tackled by the IT department. The latter must not only ensure the systems are kept up to date, they must also make sure the new patches do not create problems like instability or compatibility issues.

Any CMS which is not updated with the latest patches runs the risk of destroying the security strategy of the organization. It places client devices and servers at risk from hacking attacks and malware exploitation. There is also the risk of reliability failure along with loss of data.

Effective patch management leads to improved reliability while minimizing downtime linked with the deployment of patches, and also patch auditing with patch rollback.

Why patch management?

Now, it is much more easier to keep a CMS fully patched thanks to the efforts of important software vendors. The automated update checking is now built into the software. In many cases, the updates install in the background without asking for permission from the user or even a system reboot. If the patch installation is left only to the user, it is liable to be overlooked, leading to many vulnerabilities being unresolved and vulnerable to exploitation.

In CMS, a significant number of application vulnerabilities come from third parties, and a minuscule percentage can be traced back to the software itself. Where the software cooked up by a third party, it’s reliability and security is challenged by bolt on codes which functions in conjunction with the existing application.

The manual management of CMS software and the deployment of critical patches will swiftly lead to a rise in the maintenance overhead linked with the applications. These quantities may be so much that they can overwhelm the concerned IT team.

Reliability and security- a fine balance

Application vendors have taken multiple steps to simplify the process and also minimize the time for which a CMS is left exposed to a known vulnerability, like the integration of the automated update download. Users will be alerted to any new patch update availability. This alert will also educate the user on the need of the update.