International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Krishna D. Thapa
Abstract: Enterprise security is increasingly challenged by a growing volume of software vulnerabilities, zero-day exploits, and complex IT environments. Unpatched systems create critical exposure that attackers can exploit, leading to data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. Traditional patch management processes, often manual or semi-automated, are limited by human error, delays, and inconsistent coverage, compromising organizational security posture. Automated Patch Management Systems (APMS) have emerged as a solution, offering centralized, real-time, and policy-driven mechanisms to identify, prioritize, test, and deploy patches across enterprise assets. By reducing manual intervention, these systems accelerate vulnerability mitigation, enhance compliance with regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, and improve overall operational efficiency. This review examines the impact of APMS on enterprise security posture, exploring their architecture, key functionalities, benefits, limitations, and future directions. It highlights how automation not only reduces the attack surface but also facilitates continuous monitoring, reporting, and risk assessment. The review further discusses challenges such as patch compatibility, deployment in heterogeneous IT environments, and potential security risks associated with automated updates. Finally, emerging trends, including AI-driven predictive patching, cloud-based patch management, and autonomous remediation, are analyzed. Overall, APMS represent a transformative approach to enterprise security, strengthening vulnerability management, improving compliance, and supporting a proactive cybersecurity strategy in increasingly complex digital ecosystems.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17798521
