Alexis Kestler
Patch management is a crucial task that keeps infrastructure secured and optimized. As a long-time IT admin, I’m sure you rely on the powerful System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) for patch deployment and management.
But as useful as SCCM is, I know you’ve probably also experienced some limitations that make you evaluate alternatives. That’s why I’ve compiled this guide on 6 of the best options that can either replace or augment SCCM.
What Does SCCM Offer for Patching?
Before going into replacements, let’s quickly recap what utility SCCM provides for patch management.
As you know, SCCM lets you centrally deploy patches across Windows and Windows Server devices. You get decent visibility into missing patches and can set up automated deployments once patches are tested.
The tool also integrates with WSUS to manage patch testing/approvals based on device groups. So you can fine-tune targeted patch rollouts.
Additionally, SCCM now accommodates various Linux distros like Red Hat and Ubuntu for limited patch support.
These capabilities make SCCM patching useful for Windows-centric environments. But several issues still persist:
Lack of native third-party app patching – While better than WSUS, SCCM takes significant efforts to package and deploy third-party app patches. I’m sure manually patching hundreds of non-Windows programs gets tedious.
Marginal cross-platform visibility – With growing multi-OS environments, lacking insights into macOS and extensive Linux patching is problematic.
Upgrades often break workflows – Microsoft upgrades notoriously disrupt established SCCM patching jobs and workflows, causing headaches.
Considering these challenges, complementary or substitute tools for SCCM make sense. Now let’s discuss the purpose-built alternatives.
1. Automox for Unified Patching
I’m confident Automox will perfectly meet your need for a tool that unifies and automates patching for Windows, Linux, and macOS environments.
Here are the advantages you can leverage:
Effortless deployment – The agent install takes just a minute without needing sysadmin rights. Then you instantly gain visibility into endpoints as they come online.
Cohesive patching – Automox handles OS, 150+ third-party apps like Zoom, Google Chrome, etc. and even custom apps with the same declarative approach.
Enhanced visibility – The console provides complete infrastructure insights spanning all supported OSes for total asset tracking. You see missing patches, vulnerable apps, misconfigurations, and other risks in one dashboard.
Time savings – Agent auto-upgrades and bundled patching workflows result in up to 60% fewer administrative hours. So you free up time for other priorities.
As an all-in-one solution, Automox reduces the tool sprawl and complexity in patch management tremendously.
2. ManageEngine for Holistic Control
If you prefer staying on Windows/SCCM but want enhanced third-party patching, then ManageEngine Endpoint Central is suitable.
You can seamlessly integrate it with SCCM through the MSI package to fill the major gap – automated patching for 850+ non-Microsoft apps.
What also makes ManageEngine handy are the additional features:
🌟 Centralized visibility – track assets and inventory across mobile, desktop, and server endpoints. The dashboard highlights vulnerable systems requiring attention.
🌟 Unified management – deploy/configure antivirus, encryption, data loss prevention, and hundreds of other agents from one console. This removes the need for multiple disjointed tools.
🌟 Comprehensive reporting – out-of-the-box reports provide various insights into license compliance, software usage trends, and more to help make data-driven decisions. You can also customize reports as required.
With ManageEngine in place, you don‘t need to rip and replace SCCM. It works as the perfect sidekick to eliminate third-party patching headaches.
3. Heimdal for Automated Patch Rollouts
If you wish to retain SCCM but want a simplified solution dedicated only to patch management, Heimdal Patch & Asset Management fits perfectly.
You just install the incredibly lightweight Agent, and Heimdal handles the rest of patch management automatically via the cloud.
Some interesting aspects about Heimdal:
🔑 P2P technology – the agent uses peer-to-peer transfer to fetch patches minimizing internet usage up to 99%. So remote sites with bandwidth constraints can keep updated too.
🛡️ Encrypted patching – all deployments rely on AES-256 encryption with perfect forward secrecy for uncompromised delivery. This prevents man-in-the-middle attacks.
📅Scheduling flexibility – create multiple rules for rolling out patches by region, groups, etc. according to change windows. This prevents disruptions.
Backed by proven technology and intelligent workflows, Heimdal frees you from the hassles of patch management upkeep.
4. Ivanti Security Controls
If you wish to ultimately move away from SCCM, Ivanti Security Controls is an apt option. The all-in-one platform provides:
🌟 Holistic risk visibility – continuously discover security gaps across IT assets, from the network level to SaaS apps
🌟 Compliance automation – ensure configurations match CIS, NIST, PCI DSS standards with pre-built templates
And for patching, you gain:
🔧 Dedicated Ivanti Patch for Windows and over 350 third-party apps like Java, Google Chrome, Zoom, and custom in-house software
🔧 Patch automation – testing, approvals, and deployments without needing WSUS
So if completely moving beyond SCCM suits you, Ivanti equips you with integrated controls for system hardening, security, and compliance.
Why Patch Management Matters
Before concluding, I also want to underscore why patch management should be a top priority for your organization with some telling statistics:
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Unpatched software accounts for over 90% of successful enterprise breaches as per statistics presented by Kenna Security on HelpNetSecurity
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IBM’s Cost of Data Breach report reveals that improperly configured security patches and software jumped from #9 to #3 spot in top breach causes from 2018 to 2020
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Research by Flexera shows only 65% of known vulnerabilities get patched in enterprises largely due to patch management gaps
By proactively sealing vulnerabilities through timely patching, you can save your organization from becoming the next security headline!
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide gives you a better idea of the viable options that can make patch management much easier for your environment. Core solutions like Automox and ManageEngine offer excellent breadth and depth of patching capabilities. While Heimdal and Ivanti lean towards simplicity and specialization.
Evaluate your top priorities, constraints, and use cases to determine which platform aligns best. Over time, you may end up utilizing different solutions for specific purposes. But investing in at least one automated enterprise-grade patch management system seems wise considering the looming threats.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
