Qualys Introduces Zero-Touch Patching for Proactive Vulnerability Remediation

Rhea-AI Summary

Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS) announced the integration of zero-touch patching into its Patch Management app, enhancing cybersecurity efficiency. This new capability automates patch deployment, reducing vulnerabilities and operational costs while accelerating compliance with security policies. The feature prioritizes vulnerabilities based on real-time threat indicators, alleviating the burden on IT teams. Qualys aims to support organizations in minimizing cyber risks, especially against ransomware, by delivering proactive patching solutions. The zero-touch patching is set to be available in October 2021.

Positive

• Integration of zero-touch patching into Patch Management.
• Automated patch deployment reduces operational costs.
• Enhances compliance with security policies through automation.
• Prioritizes vulnerabilities based on real-time threat indicators.

Negative

• None.

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS), a pioneer and leading provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions, today announced it is integrating zero-touch patching capabilities into Qualys Patch Management. Zero-Touch Patch ensures that companies' endpoints and servers are proactively updated as soon as patches are available, reducing their overall attack surface.

Most vulnerability remediation involves multiple teams and processes – first, a scanning tool identifies vulnerabilities, and then they are passed to the patching team for remediation. This is a pain point for organizations and leads to extra resources, costs and longer exposure times. A lack of alignment between vulnerability and patch processes and the manual efforts required for vulnerability remediation are among the key causes of delayed patching.  

"Qualys Patch Management helps us quickly patch remote systems based on vulnerability-driven priorities without the need for a VPN," said Surendra Nemani, Head – Security Engineering at Infosys. "What's exciting about the new zero-touch capabilities is the support for third-party apps like Microsoft, Adobe and various browsers. The automation allows us to set up patching in advance, matching patch correlation to prioritized vulnerabilities without the need for the typical back and forth between security and IT teams. It has empowered our platform teams and improved our patch governance efforts. We chose Qualys Patch Management as it is natively integrated into Qualys VMDR and allows cross-platform remediation."

"Endpoint security needs to concentrate on taking intelligence from detection and response workflows for better prevention, and Qualys is uniquely positioned to leverage both vulnerability and threat intelligence insights in its patching solution," said Chris Kissel, research director in IDC's Security & Trust Products Group. "Cleverly, Qualys' approach of taking patch remediation a step further with the addition of zero-touch automation eliminates non-caustic threats like always patching Chrome or iTunes. It is a welcome addition that helps companies reduce their attack surface while also freeing up IT and Security resources to focus on more strategic areas."

Qualys Patch Management leverages the Qualys Cloud Platform and Cloud Agents to help IT and security teams quickly and efficiently remediate vulnerabilities and patch systems. New intelligent automation allows prioritization of vulnerabilities based on threat indicators such as ransomware, matching of prioritized vulnerabilities with known patches, and a zero-touch "set and forget" feature to proactively patch devices and applications per predefined policies – leading to increased productivity. For example, an organization can create a policy to keep Adobe Reader software always patched on all employee laptops.

The new capabilities enable organizations to:

Reduce the Risk From Threats Like Ransomware
Qualys Zero-Touch Patch intelligently identifies and automatically deploys the proper patches and configuration changes required for remediating vulnerabilities. Next, it leverages Qualys VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response) to prioritize them based on real-time threat indicators such as ransomware, active attacks, exploitability or lateral movement to help organizations reduce cyber risk.

Accelerate Vulnerability SLA Compliance
The application of patches for compliance is automated to help security teams align with regulatory and internal security policies. By identifying the riskiest products in the environment, organizations can focus automation efforts on those that introduce the most vulnerabilities. In addition, the quick application of low operational risk patches also reduces the overall time to remediation improving vulnerability SLAs.  

Lower Cost and Complexity
Endpoints are quickly and consistently patched, via the cloud, without the need for manual intervention and regardless of their location or connection to a corporate network reducing the cost of securing a prominent vector of attack. Eliminating the need to go over VPN for patching can be a significant cost saving.

"With cyberattack volume growing exponentially, integrating automation into your cybersecurity arsenal has moved from a nice to have to a must have," said Sumedh Thakar, president and CEO of Qualys. "As organizations implement zero-trust security frameworks, the ability to automate patching so they can better trust assets becomes a foundational aspect of their cyber defense strategy."

Availability 
Qualys Zero-Touch Patch will be available in October as part of the Qualys Patch Management app. If you would like to sign up for the free Patch Management trial, visit qualys.com/patch-management-free-trial.

Additional Resources 

• Read the Zero-Touch Patch blog
• View the Zero-Touch Patch video
• Sign-up for the Zero-Touch Patch webinar  
• Learn about Qualys Patch Management 
• Follow Qualys on LinkedIn and Twitter 

About Qualys 
Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS) is a pioneer and leading provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions with over 19,000 active customers in more than 130 countries, including a majority of each of the Forbes Global 100 and Fortune 100. Qualys helps organizations streamline and consolidate their security and compliance solutions in a single platform and build security into digital transformation initiatives for greater agility, better business outcomes, and substantial cost savings. 

The Qualys Cloud Platform and its integrated Cloud Apps deliver businesses critical security intelligence continuously, enabling them to automate the full spectrum of auditing, compliance, and protection for IT systems and web applications across on premises, endpoints, cloud, containers, and mobile environments. Founded in 1999 as one of the first SaaS security companies, Qualys has established strategic partnerships with leading cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud Platform, and managed service providers and consulting organizations including Accenture, BT, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Deutsche Telekom, DXC Technology, Fujitsu, HCL Technologies, IBM, Infosys, NTT, Optiv, SecureWorks, Tata Communications, Verizon and Wipro. The company is also a founding member of the Cloud Security Alliance. For more information, please visit www.qualys.com. 

Qualys and the Qualys logo are proprietary trademarks of Qualys, Inc. All other products or names may be trademarks of their respective companies. 

Media Contact: 
Jackie Dutton 
Qualys 
media@qualys.com 

 

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SOURCE Qualys, Inc.

FAQ

What is the new feature announced by Qualys on September 14, 2021?

Qualys announced the integration of zero-touch patching into its Patch Management app to enhance cybersecurity efficiency.

How does Qualys' zero-touch patching benefit organizations?

It automates patch deployment, reduces vulnerabilities, operational costs, and accelerates compliance with security policies.

When will Qualys' zero-touch patching be available?

The zero-touch patching feature is set to be available in October 2021.

What threat does Qualys' zero-touch patching primarily address?

It primarily addresses cyber risks, especially from threats like ransomware.

How does zero-touch patching prioritize vulnerabilities?

It prioritizes vulnerabilities based on real-time threat indicators such as active attacks and exploitability.