Datto Juices Patch Management in RMM Update
Datto RMM 6.5 gives MSPs a leg up on securing client endpoints with native third-party patching
Datto on Thursday announced global availability of Datto RMM 6.5, the latest version of its Remote Monitoring and Management tool, which adds improved patch management for third-party applications running on client devices.
The Lowdown: Datto RMM 6.5 now includes native third-party software management that automates updates and patching for common business applications and frameworks such as Adobe Acrobat, Oracle Java, and Mozilla Firefox. The improvement gives MSPs a more efficient way to control the security posture of their customers’ devices, which can often be a weak defensive link and a point of entry for cyber attacks.
The Details: Specifically, the new software management capabilities in Datto RMM 6.5 include:
• An automatic, policy-based approach to 3rd-party software update management to keep Windows and macOS endpoints updated with the latest versions of frameworks and applications.
• Application update approval can be configured and applications can be installed on an endpoint if they are not already present.
• Built-in compliance reporting to show whether endpoints have the latest versions of critical applications and frameworks
The RMM 6.5 update the ability to connect to a full PowerShell interface on remote devices via the Datto Web Portal or the Agent Browser. Multiple connections can be opened to the same endpoint, and multiple PowerShell connections to different clients can be open at the same time, officials said.
The Impact: According to a 2018 Ponemon Institute study some 60 percent of organizations that suffered a data breach in the past two years admit a known, unpatched vulnerability was to blame. A third of organizations knew their systems were vulnerable prior to compromise.
Background: Once considered mostly a backup, continuity, and disaster recovery (BCDR) vendor, Datto now boasts MSP offerings for networking, security, RMM, and Professional Services Automation (PSA). Most of Datto’s portfolio of MSP tools came via its acquisition by Vista Equity Partner and subsequent merger with Autotask in the fall of 2017.
The Buzz: “Datto RMM is designed to help MSPs deliver more efficient and reliable services,” said Ian van Reenen, VP of engineering for endpoint products at Datto in Norwalk, Connecticut. “With endpoint security and data protection playing an increasing role in defending against cyber attacks, Datto RMM’s automated third-party patch management will help our MSP partners address one of the most significant security vulnerabilities — human error through phishing emails — by ensuring all their clients’ software is updated automatically to the most current version.”
“Datto RMM 6.5 has already saved my technicians countless hours of work spent manually updating software patches for our servers,” said Daniel Johnson, president at Denver-based MSP MachineLOGIC. “Datto’s promise to release more frequent updates to Datto RMM with meaningful features like automated patch management is exactly what we look for in a technology partner.”
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