Key points
- Importance of Patch Management: Patch management remains important in 2026 as it helps improve an organization’s system and application performance and strengthens its defenses against newer cybersecurity threats.
- Patch Management Challenges: Common challenges include time-consuming patching processes, limited endpoint visibility, remote and hybrid workforces, IT staff shortages, cross-platform patching, and user resistance.
- How to Mitigate Patch Management Challenges: A robust and comprehensive tool like NinjaOne can help mitigate patching challenges by providing an automated, centralized, and intelligent solution for an organization’s entire IT environment.
- Patch Testing Minimizes Risk: Testing patches in a controlled environment before deployment helps identify compatibility issues early, reducing the risk of downtime, business disruption, and failed updates.
- Third-Party Patching Is Essential for Security: Keeping third-party applications up to date is just as important as patching operating systems, as unpatched software can introduce vulnerabilities that attackers exploit to gain unauthorized access.
- Reporting and Visibility Improve Patch Compliance: Centralized reporting, patch tracking, and endpoint visibility enable IT teams to quickly identify unpatched systems, verify deployment success, and maintain compliance across the entire IT environment.
- A robust and comprehensive tool like NinjaOne can help mitigate patching challenges by providing an automated, centralized, and intelligent solution for an organization’s entire IT environment.
From Microsoft to Samsung, even the world’s leading tech enterprises often face the consequences of unpatched software, including security breaches, data theft, and resource loss. It’s clear that patching is important for the success and security of an IT infrastructure; however, patch management is by no means an easy task. In 2026, IT administrators must still mitigate patch management challenges, such as lack of endpoint visibility, time-consuming patching processes, IT staff shortage, hybrid and remote workforces, and more.
Mitigate patch management gaps with a robust endpoint management solution.
What is patch management?
Patch management is the process of creating, testing, and deploying software updates across endpoints within your network. It is an important part of IT management since it helps improve an organization’s system and application performance by consistently fixing bugs and closing security vulnerabilities.
Why patch management is important
In 2024, the National Public Data breach exposed approximately 2.9 billion records across the US/UK/Canada, including sensitive personal info. This is harrowing from a business and privacy perspective. Since then, cybercrime has continued to evolve. Patch management helps strengthen an organization’s defenses against newer cyberattacks, making it an important area of focus for all IT professionals.
Top 10 patch management challenges of 2026 and how to overcome them
Technology is always changing, which means the challenges that come with technological advances are changing as well. That’s why we gathered the top patch management challenges this year. Additionally, we’re also providing you with ways to sidestep each of these challenges.
Watch our video on Patch Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
1. Time-consuming patching processes
Ivanti states, “71% of IT and security professionals find patching to be overly complex and time-consuming.” A lot of these complexities stem from inefficient tools that cause IT teams to do manual patching.
Manually patching every device on a network is not only frustrating and slow, but also highly inefficient for larger organizations. Without the right patching solution, IT teams struggleto patch and secure endpoints in a timely manner.
Solution: Automate processes to make patching faster & more efficient
Automation is the best way to make patching faster, easier, and more efficient. Automated patch management reduces manual patching errors, simplifies reporting, and strengthens security, and minimizes the time needed for tedious, manual work. If your current patch management system is time-consuming and too demanding, automation is the solution you need.
2. Lack of endpoint visibility
Without endpoint visibility, patching all devices on a network is impossible. IT professionals need clear insight into their IT environment to successfully patch all endpoints. Endpoint visibility not only supports patching efforts, but it also aids with network security since it’s the first phase of a network monitoring and management process.
Solution: Set up endpoint management systems for improved visibility
Endpoint visibility is important for securing data, but it’s also a key factor in any patch management system. You need to be able to see all endpoints on your network in order to patch them. Endpoint monitoring and management systems provide a clear view of your IT infrastructure and its endpoints, thus improving visibility and ensuring no device remains unnoticed and unpatched for a long time.
3. Hybrid and remote workforces
Remote work skyrocketed after 2020. Although many businesses have returned to a fully in-person model after the pandemic, digital nomads and hybrid setups remain a constant in today’s workforce. With remote and hybrid work, endpoints aren’t in a centralized location, making patching challenging
Solution: Monitor and manage all remote devices and workforces
According to the latest remote patching best practices, consistently monitoring and managing remote devices and their patch status is essential for a successful patch management program. With a remote monitoring and management tool, IT teams gain insight into their remote or hybrid IT environments to patch all devices on a network.
Check out our guide to BYOD best practices and secure your data.
4. Shortages of IT staff
Unfortunately, it’s no secret that there are shortages of IT professionals, particulary in IT security supports. Several companies are also relying more on AI, which, if not integrated properly into IT management, isn’t a complete replacement for human expertise in validating patches, managing exceptions, and making strategic decisions about risk and compliance. These factors affect MSPs in particular, who have work coming in but lack the necessary staff to provide their patching services.
Solution: Automate basic patching processes to make up for the lack of personnel
There are multiple strategies to solve tech and IT talent shortage, however, one of the easiest, quickest, and most effective solutions is to use automation to support patch compliance. This helps MSPs and IT departments function smoothly even with limited personnel.
5. Different systems & applications
Many organizations operate using multiple systems and applications. This means IT professionals will need to be able to patch different operating systems, such as Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as various 3rd party applications. As you can imagine, patching all these systems can turn into quite a hassle, especially if you’re not using a patch management tool that doesn’t cater to different systems.
Solution: Choose a patch management solution that works with different systems/applications
Because IT professionals and organizations work with various systems, IT departments and MSPs need patch management tool that can handle these systems and applications. For example, with NinjaOne Patching, users can patch Linux, macOS, and Windows devices, as well as hundreds of common business applications.
6. Frequency of software updates
Continuous software updates can be exhausting for IT teams. This may pose challenges for them to keep up with patching requirements to ensure systems are secure and up-to-date.
Solution: Implement a robust update scheduling system
One efficient way to tackle this challenge is to use a patch management tool like NinjaOne patch management, which allows for versatile update scheduling. Having a patch management solution that provides flexible update scheduling helps IT teams plan and prioritize urgent updates, ensuring that critical patches are applied promptly while minimizing disruption to business operations.
7. Compatibility issues
Patches that introduce conflicts may cause compatibility issues. These patches may not be suitable for your existing software or hardware. Compatibility issues caused by these patches may incur downtime and disrupt business operations.
Solution: Test patches in a controlled environment before deployment
Establishing a testing protocol where patches are applied to a controlled subset of systems is always important. This strategy helps identify and resolve compatibility issues before deployment. Not only that, but testing patches also helps IT teams save time while preventing downtime.
8. User resistance to updates
Patching efforts are affected by end-user resistance to important updates. Some tend to delay deploying patches to avoid downtime, system behavior changes, or productivity reductions. This issue holds up significant updates and important patching efforts that may be paramount to system security.
Solution: Communicate the importance and benefits of updates
According to Ponemon research,60% of data breaches happen because a security patch wasn’t applied. Some of it may be due to end-user resistance. To mitigate the challenge, organizations and IT teams need to inform end-users about the importance of applying security and functionality updates to mitigate resistance. This can be done through training, employee education, clear communication, and support. It would also help if patches could be scheduled during off-peak hours to minimize workflow disruption.
Learn why you don’t want to delay the deployment of security patches.
9. Security vulnerabilities in third-party applications
Third-party applications may pose risks to your entire network by introducing security vulnerabilities. If these applications are not regularly patched or updated, your network may be susceptible to malware injection, unauthorized access, and data breaches.
Solution: Use a comprehensive third-party patch management solution
A tool like NinjaOne’s Third-Party Patch Management can elevate your endpoint security by ensuring these applications are monitored and updated regularly. Implementing such a tool that addresses third-party application patching eliminates the risks of getting security vulnerabilities in third-party applications.
10. Inadequate reporting and tracking
It’s crucial for IT teams to know which systems have already been patched and which haven’t. However, inadequate reporting and tracking can create bottlenecks in this undertaking, leading to potential security gaps and increased vulnerability.
Solution: Deploy advanced reporting and tracking tools
Having a tool that enforces effective patching management is one thing. However, being able to manage factors like tracking missing patches and their installations plus generating patch reports, all in one centralized console, can significantly help IT teams ensure compliance and quickly identify unpatched systems.
For a visual explanation of these challenges, check out our video: Top Patch Management Challenges.
Automate, prioritize, and deploy patches across all your devices with ease.
Simplify patch management with NinjaOne
Because these patching challenges are not going away anytime soon, you need a patch management tool that can handle and resolve evolving challenges with ease. NinjaOne’s patch management solution and RMM allow users to automate patching processes, gain endpoint visibility, remotely monitor and manage devices, and patch various systems or applications. With these capabilities and more, it’s clear why NinjaOne is listed as number 1 of the best patch management tools. Use a free trial of NinjaOne to start overcoming your patching challenges with confidence.
