One of the biggest dilemmas for security teams is when to patch vulnerabilities. This is a classic “Patch-22” situation—patching immediately can be time-consuming and disruptive, but waiting leaves your organization exposed to cyber threats. It’s a tough balancing act between fixing vulnerabilities and maintaining business continuity. 

With cyberattacks evolving and becoming more frequent, waiting to patch is a risk that organizations can no longer afford to take. In this blog, we’ll explore the challenges of patching, the risks of waiting too long, and how Veriti’s one-click remediation can break the cycle. 

The Patch-22 Dilemma: To Patch or Not to Patch? 

When security teams discover vulnerabilities, their first instinct is to patch them immediately. However, the reality is that patching isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes patches can cause system disruptions, compatibility issues, or even introduce new vulnerabilities. This leads many organizations to delay applying patches, thinking they’ll get to it “later.” 

But in cybersecurity, “later” often means leaving the door wide open for attackers. This is the core of the Patch-22 dilemma—while waiting seems like a safer option for avoiding operational disruption, it increases the risk of exploitation by cybercriminals. 

According to recent industry research, 60% of breaches are linked to vulnerabilities that haven’t been patched, highlighting the dangers of delaying action. With attack vectors constantly evolving, delaying critical patches creates a perfect storm for threat actors to capitalize on weaknesses in your system. 

Why “Waiting” Puts You at Risk 

Cybercriminals thrive on the time gap between vulnerability discovery and patch deployment. The longer organizations wait to apply a patch, the more time hackers have to exploit the weakness. Attackers often use automated tools to scan for unpatched vulnerabilities, and once they find one, they can deploy malware, ransomware, or initiate data breaches within minutes. 

Waiting to patch a vulnerability can significantly increase the risks your organization faces. The longer a vulnerability remains unpatched, the more exposed your systems become to cyber threats. Attackers can easily find publicly disclosed vulnerabilities and craft targeted attacks to exploit them. With the use of automated tools, hackers can scan the internet for known vulnerabilities and launch an attack within seconds once they detect an unpatched system. Let’s not forget, many ransomware campaigns specifically target unpatched vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to lock up critical data and demand hefty sums for its release. Beyond the technical risks, there are also reputational consequences—suffering a breach due to an unpatched vulnerability can severely damage your organization’s reputation, erode customer trust, and lead to significant financial penalties for non-compliance with security regulations. 

Although patching is essential, there are valid reasons why organizations may hesitate to apply patches immediately. One concern is operational disruption, applying patches, especially to critical systems, may require downtime or service interruptions, which can negatively affect business operations. Another reason is compatibility issues as some patches may not be compatible with legacy systems or certain software configurations, potentially leading to performance problems or unexpected failures. Testing requirements often delay patching as security teams need to test patches in a staging environment before deploying them to production systems to ensure they don’t cause disruptions. These concerns create a dilemma, waiting to patch leaves your systems vulnerable, but patching too quickly may disrupt business operations. How can organizations escape this patching conundrum? 

Virtual Patching: Break Free from the Patch-22 Cycle 

Virtual patching is a game-changing solution to this dilemma. With virtual patching, organizations can apply a temporary patch at the network level, shielding vulnerable systems from exploitation without modifying the underlying software. This method allows security teams to protect systems while they test and prepare for the permanent patch. 

Veriti’s One-Click Remediation: Faster Than Your Coffee Break 

Veriti takes virtual patching a step further with one-click remediation. With Veriti, organizations can remediate vulnerabilities instantly—without the long wait times typically associated with patching. Veriti integrates seamlessly with your existing infrastructure, allowing you to apply fixes directly within your environment. 

Why follow a tedious process of patch testing and waiting when Veriti can instantly remediate vulnerabilities before they turn into major breaches? Our platform offers the agility and speed needed to stay ahead of cyber threats. 

• Instant fixes: Remediate vulnerabilities with a single click, fixing them before they can be exploited by attackers. 

• Non-disruptive: Veriti’s solution is non-intrusive, minimizing the risk of downtime or service interruptions during remediation. 

• Integrated workflows: Veriti integrates with your existing tools like WAF, NGFW, EDR, and UEM, ensuring that remediation fits seamlessly into your operations. 

With Veriti, waiting is no longer necessary. You can stay ahead of threats by applying fixes immediately, securing your systems faster than ever. 

For organizations that choose to wait, the cost can be significant. From data breaches to ransomware attacks, the real-world consequences of leaving vulnerabilities unpatched can be devastating. Take, for example, the infamous Equifax breach in 2017, where attackers exploited a known vulnerability in Apache Struts that had not been patched. The result? A breach affecting over 147 million people, costing the company over $1.4 billion in settlements, lawsuits, and penalties. 

This is just one example, but it illustrates the potential cost of waiting too long to patch. With threats growing in sophistication and frequency, organizations can no longer afford to gamble on delaying security fixes. 

Escape the Patch-22 with Veriti 

The decision to patch now or later is a delicate balancing act, but with Veriti, you no longer have to choose between operational disruption and security. Veriti’s one-click remediation and virtual patching capabilities allow you to secure vulnerabilities in real-time without the wait, minimizing the risk of exploitation and ensuring business continuity. 

With Veriti, you can break free from the Patch-22 cycle and secure your systems faster than your coffee cools down.