Cybersecurity
Vulnerability management finds missing updates and misconfigurations and ranks them. Patch management applies the software updates the organization has approved. A scan does not install a patch, and a patch report does not prove every finding is closed. Novatelia publishes both inside one solution because the cycle is find, decide, apply, and scan again.
Revised 2026-10-10. Published by Novatelia. No individual author is named, because no personal credential is claimed for this explanation.
Key points
- A finding and a deployed update are different records.
- Not every finding has a patch.
- Maintenance windows belong in the written scope.
Definition
The scanner produces a list. The patch process changes computers. Closing the loop means the next scan no longer shows the items that were patched, and the remaining items have an owner.
How it works
A scanner checks the estate. Someone accepts or defers each item. An endpoint or patch tool deploys the approved updates. A later scan checks the result. Deferred items stay visible.
Architecture
- Scan source and the assets it can actually see.
- A decision record: apply, defer, or accept.
- A deployment tool and a second scan.
Use cases
- A monthly cycle must show which findings were patched.
- A missing update on servers needs a maintenance window.
- A misconfiguration has no patch and needs a hardening change instead.
Comparison
- Vulnerability management
- Find and rank exposures, including items that are not patches.
- Patch management
- Approve and deploy software updates, then confirm they landed.
Selection guidance
- Decide which assets the scanner can reach.
- Name who may approve a reboot.
- Keep endpoint management in the design when that console deploys the updates.
Questions
Is a vulnerability scan a penetration test?
No. A scan compares versions and settings with known issues. A test tries to use a weakness. This site does not describe a scan as a test, and it publishes no score.
Where is the service?
The vulnerability and patch solution states the cycle. The matching service is the deployment and verification work. Hardware maintenance is a different agreement.
Related
More in Cybersecurity
This page defines a term so a project can be scoped. It is not a certification, a test result, or a price. Partnerships are stated only on the partners page. The published address and telephone are the company contact, not a service-level commitment.
Describe the requirement
An RFQ saves a browser draft. It does not publish a price or issue a quotation reference.