Keeping software secure is about more than knowing that an update is available. You also need to understand where vulnerabilities exist, which systems are affected, and how those risks should be addressed.

That is why patch management and vulnerability management are often discussed together. They are closely connected, but they solve different security challenges.

Understanding the difference makes it easier to determine whether you primarily need efficient third-party application patching, broader vulnerability visibility, or a combination of both.

What is patch management?

Patch management is the process of keeping software up to date by managing and deploying updates across endpoints.

An effective patch management process can reduce the manual work involved in maintaining applications while helping you manage updates more consistently.

If you use Microsoft Intune, this raises an important question: how should third-party application patching fit into the endpoint management environment you already have?

SecTeer PatchPro is built specifically for third-party patch management through Microsoft Intune.

Supported third-party applications can be published directly to Intune, where you can compare the currently published version with the recommended version and automate the upload of future versions. Applications can then be assigned to the relevant hosts or groups through Microsoft Intune.

PatchPro also gives you flexibility when supported applications require additional configuration. You can use custom installer packages, add configuration files or scripts, and define custom installation parameters before publishing applications to Intune.

If your primary goal is to strengthen third-party application patching through Microsoft Intune, PatchPro can therefore operate as a dedicated, standalone solution.

What is vulnerability management?

Vulnerability management has a different focus. It is the continuous process of identifying vulnerabilities across your environment, understanding their significance, and establishing what needs to be prioritized for remediation.

This is where SecTeer VulnDetect provides a broader set of security capabilities.

VulnDetect discovers installed software and exact versions across endpoints, helping you understand their security status and identify vulnerable applications, zero-day vulnerabilities, and software that has reached end-of-life.

But VulnDetect does not stop at detection. You can control software deployment and application approvals, deploy and manage custom software, and automate patching across endpoints. This means VulnDetect can be used independently for both vulnerability management and patching without relying on Microsoft Intune.

PatchPro or VulnDetect?

The right solution depends on what you want to achieve.

If Microsoft Intune is already central to your endpoint management and you want a dedicated solution for managing supported third-party applications, PatchPro is built specifically to strengthen that process within your existing Intune environment.

If you need broader visibility and control across your software environment, VulnDetect provides a comprehensive approach to vulnerability management and remediation that can operate independently of Microsoft Intune.

Both solutions can therefore stand on their own. But there is also significant value in bringing them together.

The strength of combining PatchPro and VulnDetect

Combining PatchPro and VulnDetect brings patch management and vulnerability management into a more connected security approach.

VulnDetect gives you visibility and control across your software environment. By discovering installed software, exact versions and vulnerabilities, it gives you the security context needed to understand where action is required. From there, you can manage software deployments and approvals, deploy custom software, and automate patching across endpoints.

PatchPro extends this approach into Microsoft Intune. It gives you a dedicated way to manage supported third-party applications through your existing Intune environment, with automated packaging and publishing, flexible application customization, and automatic uploads of new supported versions.

Together, PatchPro and VulnDetect give you a more complete approach to vulnerability and patch management, combining dedicated third-party application management through Microsoft Intune with broader vulnerability visibility and remediation capabilities across your environment.

Take greater control of your patch and vulnerability management with SecTeer. Book a demo to see how PatchPro and VulnDetect can strengthen your environment.