Patch & Update Management
Patching that’s actually done on time.
Unpatched systems are how most businesses get breached. We run OS, application, and firmware updates as a disciplined, tested, reported process across every device, so the riskiest door in your network is always closed.
100% average patch compliance across our managed fleet
100%
average patch compliance, fleet-wide
Why patching is the hard part
The most important IT job is also the most neglected.
01
Unpatched is how breaches happen
The vast majority of successful attacks exploit a vulnerability a patch already existed for. Every machine that falls behind is a known, open door an attacker can walk through.
02
Untested updates break things
Blindly auto-installing every update is its own risk, a bad patch can take down a line-of-business app. Good patching means testing before broad rollout, not just clicking “update all.”
03
Third-party apps are the blind spot
Windows Update doesn’t cover Chrome, Adobe, Zoom, or Java, the very apps attackers target most. Without dedicated third-party patching, these stay silently out of date.
04
It’s endless, thankless work
Patches ship every week for every product, forever. Done by hand it’s a grind that always loses to more urgent fires, which is exactly why it needs automation and a team that owns it.
How patching works at Frontline
A disciplined process, not “update all.”
Every client’s patching runs on Datto RMM policies, applied in tested phases and verified for compliance. Here’s the process, and the safeguards, behind it.
RMM Patch Policies
Automated OS patching
Datto RMM applies Windows and macOS updates on per-client policies, defined approval rules, maintenance windows, and severity targeting, pushed automatically to every managed device.
Third-Party Patching
Apps beyond the OS
Chrome, Edge, Adobe, Zoom, Java, and the other apps attackers love, kept current through automated third-party patching, the gap Windows Update alone leaves wide open.
Phased Test Rings
Tested before broad rollout
New patches roll out in waves, pilot devices first, then the wider fleet, so a bad update is caught on a handful of machines, never across your whole business at once.
Scheduled Reboots
Off-hours, low disruption
Patches that need a restart are scheduled into maintenance windows with user warnings, so updates finish installing without interrupting anyone’s workday.
Compliance Verification
Proof, not assumptions
RMM confirms every patch actually installed and flags any device that’s behind, turning patch status into a number we report on, not a hope we hold.
Exceptions & rollback
When a patch misbehaves or a legacy app needs a specific version held back, our engineers manage the exception and roll back fast, control a fully automated tool can’t give you.
100%
average patch compliance
2,300+
endpoints kept patched
Weekly
patch & review cycle
OS + 3rd-party
both covered, every device
What patch management covers
Every layer that ships updates, kept current.
Patching isn’t just Windows Update. We keep operating systems, applications, drivers, and firmware current across servers, workstations, and the network, on every device we manage.
Operating System Patches
Windows and macOS security and feature updates, applied on policy with approval control, the baseline of a secure, supported environment on every workstation and server.
Third-Party Applications
Browsers, Adobe, Java, Zoom, and dozens more, the apps that ship the most CVEs, patched automatically, closing the blind spot OS updates never touch.
Drivers & Firmware
Server, workstation, and network-device firmware and drivers kept current, the updates most providers ignore, even though they patch real security and stability flaws.
Servers & Critical Systems
Servers are patched with extra care, backed up first, scheduled into approved windows, and watched through reboot, because the systems that matter most can’t afford a bad update.
Emergency & Zero-Day Patches
When a critical vulnerability is actively exploited, we don’t wait for the next cycle, urgent patches are pushed fleet-wide the same week, often the same day.
Compliance & Reporting
Patch status is tracked per device and rolled into clear monthly reports, the evidence auditors, insurers, and HIPAA/SOC 2 frameworks expect to see.
Reactive vs. proactive
The difference is everything you don’t see.
Reactive IT waits for something to break. Proactive monitoring and maintenance works to make sure it never does. Here’s how the two compare.
| What matters | Reactive / break-fix IT | Frontline proactive IT |
|---|---|---|
| Problem discovery | When a user reports it | Automated alert, often before impact |
| Monitoring | None, or unwatched alerts | 24/7 via Datto RMM & EDR |
| Patching | Manual, ad-hoc, often skipped | Policy-driven, ~100% compliance |
| Backups | Assumed to be working | Verified daily, replicated offsite |
| Maintenance | Only after a failure | Scheduled & automated, continuous |
| Reporting | None | Monthly health, patch & asset metrics |
“
When the big ransomware vulnerabilities hit the news, our team had already patched us, they’d pushed the fix days earlier. Knowing we’re never the easy target anymore is worth everything.
PK
24/7
continuous monitoring
100%
average patch compliance
2,300 +
endpoints watched
Common questions
Patch management, answered.
How often do you patch?
Most security patches run on a weekly cycle, with monthly review of broader updates. Critical, actively-exploited vulnerabilities don’t wait for the cycle, we push those fleet-wide as soon as they’re validated, often the same day.
What tools do you use for patching?
Patching is driven by Datto RMM, the same platform we use for monitoring, with policy-based approval, third-party application patching, and per-device compliance verification. It means patch status is enforced and reported, not left to each machine’s own update settings.
What if a patch breaks one of our apps?
That’s exactly what test rings prevent. Patches are validated on a pilot group before broad rollout, so issues surface on a few machines first. If something does slip through, our engineers roll the patch back and hold it until there’s a fix, control automated-only tools can’t offer.
Do you patch more than just Windows?
Yes, and it’s where most providers fall short. We patch Windows and macOS, plus third-party applications like browsers, Adobe, Java, and Zoom, and we keep server and network firmware current. Those non-OS updates are where many of the most-exploited vulnerabilities actually live.
Is patch management a separate service?
No, it’s built into every Frontline managed plan, alongside monitoring and maintenance. See Proactive Monitoring & Maintenance , or Fully Managed IT for everything that’s covered.
How patched are you really?
Start with a free assessment, we’ll scan how current your systems actually are and show you exactly where the gaps and risks sit today. No pitch, no pressure.