According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime cost the world an estimated $9.5 trillion last year.
Cybercriminals are no longer focused on big targets alone. They want reach. Everyone is in scope. Many of the most organized groups now operate like legitimate businesses, with payrolls, benefits, and development cycles. Some are backed by nation-states. That gives them resources most private organizations cannot match.
As an attacker’s skill set increases, so does the likelihood they can bypass detection altogether, according to Action1, in a post on CSO. Modern threat actors often exploit systems without using malware. They rely on legitimate tools, scripts, and stolen credentials to move through networks without setting off alarms.
One of their most effective methods in a modern endpoint defense strategy is targeting known but unpatched vulnerabilities. These are flaws that defenders already have the ability to fix but have not yet addressed. That delay, even if only a few hours, is often all an attacker needs. Unpatched software becomes a master key. The attacker is simply looking for the right lock.
This is where patch management becomes mission-critical. Patching removes options before attackers even get in.