Even well-run organizations like yours can fall into the habit of using outdated versions of applications. This happens for several reasons: the scale of change is daunting, updating is a hassle and what’s the real need if what you’re currently using does the job? Justifying outdated software can lead to much more than missing out on the latest features and functionality, and in many cases opens your IT organization up to security threats that cause unplanned breaches—and costs—to your business.
Hackers understand how easy it is to target software that is end of life (EOL), end of support (EOS) or just simply obsolete; there will be no future updates to seal up the cracks exploited in the code. Knowing this, it’s imperative that everyone in every IT organization prioritize and understand what software they have, what software is EOL/EOS and what software is currently vulnerable and needs patching immediately.
U.S. agencies must inventory all software
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released a statement addressing the need for all federal agencies to create a full inventory of the software they use within the next 90 days (as of September 14, 2022). Not only that, but every federal agency will need to have letters from vendors about all software—critical and otherwise—by September 2023. So what does this mean? For starters, a tremendous lift from federal agencies is required to understand where there might be current gaps in software updates, but it also offers a tandem opportunity to develop a comprehensive view of their inventory that’s useful for other initiatives (e.g., rightsizing environments, vendor and application overlap, etc.).
Understanding every software application used in your IT organization in accordance with governmental requirements for various vendors will be extremely time and resource consuming, and many organizations will need a vendor that can help streamline this process.
A reliable view of the IT estate expedites peace of mind
Like a bespoke suit fits the wearer just right, with the help of Flexera One IT Visibility, organizations can accelerate their response to the OMB initiative with a clear and accurate view of their software inventory.
It pays to know where to begin. There may already be EOL/EOS software that organizations are currently overlooking. With IT Visibility, customers can immediately see the gaps in their IT landscape and address those immediately.
Plus, with the power of Technopedia, users can stay ahead of it all by getting the latest validated information on all software and hardware assets in their organization.
In addition to understanding what may be out of date, it’s essential to know what critical software applications need to be immediately patched. Flexera’s Software Vulnerability Management solution can prioritize the biggest software threats, so those vulnerabilities can be quickly addressed to reduce the overall risk of exploitation in your organization.
IT Visibility
The business promise of your IT is huge. But it takes a complete, up-to-date view of your hybrid environment to make the most of it.
Staying up to date really isn’t as easy as it may sound, but with a trusted partner like Flexera, customers—and especially Federal Agencies—can stay up to date to stave off future cyberattacks.
To learn more about how to get ahead of vulnerabilities in your IT landscape, contact us today.
