Patching on a schedule
Unpatched computers are one of the easiest ways into a business. We install operating system and third-party application updates on a schedule you agree, in maintenance windows that avoid busy times. Updates that fail or are deferred are tracked until they are done, and critical security fixes are pushed sooner.
Endpoint protection
Every workstation and server runs managed endpoint protection that blocks known threats and flags suspicious behavior. We keep it current, review its alerts during office hours and isolate a device when something looks wrong.
Encryption and device rules
A lost laptop should be an inconvenience, not a data breach. We turn on full disk encryption, enforce screen locks, remove local admin rights from daily accounts and set rules for USB storage where your business needs them.
Device health
You see every device we manage: its age, warranty, health and patch status. That inventory drives refresh planning, so machines are replaced before they fail rather than after.
Why patching gets skipped
In most small offices patching is nobody’s job. Updates pop up at bad moments, people postpone them, laptops that rarely restart fall months behind and third-party apps like browsers, PDF readers and Java are forgotten entirely. Attackers know this. Many successful attacks use flaws that had a fix available for a long time. A managed schedule removes the guesswork: updates are approved, installed, verified and reported without relying on anyone remembering.
How we handle a bad update
Occasionally an update breaks something, such as a printer driver or an accounting add-in. We reduce that risk by releasing updates in rings: a small pilot group first, then everyone else once the pilot looks clean. If an update still causes trouble, we roll it back on the affected machines, pause it for everyone and work with the software vendor until a fixed version is out. Critical security fixes for actively exploited flaws move faster, because the risk of waiting is greater than the risk of the patch.
Third-party applications
Windows updates are only part of the picture. We also patch the applications attackers target most often: web browsers, Adobe Acrobat and Reader, Zoom, Java, 7-Zip and dozens of others. Line-of-business software is updated in coordination with its vendor, so a new version of your practice management or ERP system does not land in the middle of a busy week.
Older systems that cannot be patched
Some offices have a computer that runs an old machine, an imaging device or a piece of software that only works on an outdated version of Windows. We do not pretend these are safe. We isolate them on their own network segment, limit what they can reach, monitor them closely and put a replacement plan in your IT roadmap.
What you see each month
You get a plain report showing which devices are fully patched, which ones need attention and why, the state of endpoint protection and encryption, and any devices that have not checked in recently. It is the evidence cyber insurers and auditors ask for, and it tells you at a glance that the basics are covered.
Endpoint detection and response, explained
Traditional antivirus looked for known bad files. Modern attacks often use legitimate tools in unusual ways, so we use endpoint detection and response (EDR), which watches behavior: a document that launches a script, a program that starts encrypting files or a login tool used from an unexpected account. When EDR sees something suspicious, it can stop the process and isolate the device from the network, and our engineers review the alert during office hours. Cyber insurers increasingly ask for EDR by name.
Macs and mobile devices
Many offices are not all Windows. We manage and patch Macs alongside PCs, with encryption, endpoint protection and update rules applied the same way. Company phones and tablets can be enrolled in device management, so email and company apps are protected by a passcode and can be wiped remotely if a device is lost, while personal photos and apps stay private.
Laptops that rarely visit the office
Patching does not depend on being in the building. Our agent checks in over any internet connection, so a laptop used at home, at a client site or on the road receives updates on the same schedule as the desktops in the office. Devices that have not checked in for a while are flagged in your monthly report, so a laptop sitting in a drawer does not quietly fall months behind. A lost laptop is protected by encryption, and our guide to data breach notification laws explains why that matters.
Where we work
We manage devices for businesses in 20 major US cities and other US cities, wherever your staff work, as part of full managed IT.