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Gartner® Research: How to Balance Patch Management and Operational Resilience
Learn how a risk-based approach to patch management—aligned with vulnerability management, threat intelligence, and business priorities—reduces real security exposure without disrupting operations.
Patch management is too often measured by completion rates, not by actual risk reduction. This Gartner® research provides heads of I&O with a framework for shifting from compliance-focused patching to a strategic, risk-based program that aligns IT operations and security teams around shared goals.
Patching is a business decision, not an IT task
Organizations are under growing pressure to maintain strong security postures while preserving operational resilience. Yet in most enterprises, patch management is still treated as an isolated infrastructure process—measured by how many patches were applied, not by how much risk was actually reduced.
When I&O and security teams operate in silos, patching becomes a source of friction: security teams push for rapid remediation, while I&O teams focus on system stability and uptime. The result is misaligned goals, gaps in security posture, and a false sense of protection.
This Gartner® research cuts through the complexity. In our view, it gives heads of infrastructure and operations a practical roadmap for integrating patching within a broader vulnerability management program—so your teams are aligned, your metrics are meaningful, and your risk exposure is genuinely reduced.
Our key takeaways
- Shift focus from patch compliance metrics to minimizing actual security risk
- Integrate I&O and security through shared playbooks, cross-functional teams, and unified risk registers
- Establish structured patch management with clear RACI responsibilities and defined success measurements
- Use automation and autonomous endpoint management to accelerate patching without disrupting operations
By 2028, over 80% of I&O leaders will measure patching success by reduction in risk exposure, not patch completion rates, leading to improved alignment between IT and security teams.
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“How to Balance Patch Management and Operational Resilience,” Lina Al Dana, Todd Larivee, et al., 29 July 2025, Gartner, Inc.
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