Security is developing because the attacker already has it. The rise in threats facing IT teams today is not random. It reflects the profitability of cybercrime. Although illegal drug transactions worldwide are estimated to be as high as $652 billion a year, in 2024, cybercrime is estimated to cause $9.5 trillion in global losses. If cybercrime is a country, it will be the third largest economy on the planet, behind only the United States and China.
This growth is not only driven by high-profile attacks. It is driven by proportion. Cyber criminals no longer focus on big goals. They want to arrive. Everyone is in scope. Many of the most organized groups now operate like legal businesses, with wages, benefits and development cycles. Some people are supported by nation-states. This provides them with resources that most private organizations cannot match.
For businesses, it seems impossible to defend against such an opponent. However, strong cybersecurity does not always require a large budget. It requires priority. The key is to understand where your defenses work and where the gap remains. More importantly, this means layering your security so that failure in one area does not lead to complete compromise.
Many organizations are relying heavily on malicious code detection tools (such as Antivirus, EDR, or XDR). These are necessary tools. But they are also reactive. They detected threats that already existed. This means that the attack is already in progress.
Once malicious code is marked, the attacker can already execute commands, upgrade privileges, or disable protections. As the attacker’s skill settings increase, they can completely bypass the possibility of detection. Modern threat actors often exploit the system without using malware. They rely on legitimate tools, scripts and stolen credentials to move through the network without setting up alerts.
One of their most effective methods is to target known but without assistance. These are flaws that defenders have already been able to address but have not yet been addressed. Even if it’s only a few hours, this kind of delay is usually what an attacker needs. The unlisted software becomes the master key. The attacker is just looking for the right lock.
This is where patch management will become a critical task. Patch can delete the selection before the attacker enters. It shrinks their kits, they try to live on your land, and you are starving their camp to death. By contrast, relying on detection alone means waiting for trouble and hoping you catch it. Malware detection works by identifying known bad code or behavior. “No alert” may mean that everything is working. Otherwise it might mean missing something. But “patch” means that the attacker’s path has been closed. This means they expect no longer to work on the exploit.
The faster the repair speed, the smaller the attack surface. Automatic patching is the best way to make this scalable and consistent. It eliminates human error and delays, which is what the attacker exploits. Automation allows security teams to shift their focus to architecture, threat modeling, and response.
Not every patch can be applied without supervision. Change control is still important. However, the belief that patches too destructive or risk must be weighed against the cost of breach. The damage caused by an attack (whether it is downtime, legal exposure or brand damage) almost always exceeds the cost of a planned update.
The bottom line is very clear. Malicious code detection only identifies what already exists. This means that the attacker has entered the interior. Patch management prevents many of these attacks before it begins. It’s about denying access, not just detecting intrusions.
The attacker moves quickly and thinks like an engineer. Waiting for an attack is no longer a viable plan. Modern defenses must focus on closed blanks before use. First, prioritize and automate the patching strategy as much as possible.
If your patches are slow, manual, or inconsistent, then your business is already lagging behind. This is often an important step when it comes to cybersecurity.
To learn more, visit us here.
