No company is immune from cyberattacks. The UK businesses facing multi-million-pound losses in early 2025 learned this the hard way. The scale of this disruption has highlighted how a breach can ripple across operations, finance, and reputation. But here's what the headlines don’t capture: not all breaches rely on attackers using innovative exploits — many come from known flaws that remain unpatched.
While the term ‘vulnerability’ can sound like a minor flaw, vulnerabilities wait for no one and pave the way for full-scale compromise of systems. Planning ahead and reacting quickly could be the difference between system security and company-wide losses.
This isn't just about reactive fixes. The organizations that thrive, view vulnerability management as a proactive measure — one that protects systems, enables teams, and ensures continuous business operations. In this blog, we'll explore common challenges in identifying vulnerabilities and applying fixes, how proactive vulnerability management strengthens your security posture, and why the human element matters just as much as the technical one.
Why patching falls behind
Patching should already be part of your fundamental security practice, swiftly closing out identified vulnerabilities and reducing the risk of exploitation and wide-reaching consequences. Yet many organizations still struggle to keep pace. The gap between identifying vulnerabilities and applying fixes often comes down to a few persistent challenges:
-
Delayed patch cycles: Many breaches come not from undiscovered vulnerabilities, but from not applying patches in a timely manner.
-
Change management bottlenecks: Manual approval processes and concerns about system downtime often slow patch deployment, even when vulnerabilities are critical.
-
Siloed responsibilities: When IT teams and application owners or third parties don't communicate effectively or work in sync, systems can remain unpatched for extended periods. Furthermore, without clear ownership of who owns vulnerability management and patching activities, they can easily fall through the cracks.
-
Lack of prioritization: Organizations relying solely on scheduled or outdated patching cycles leave high-risk vulnerabilities exposed between updates, even when faster action is needed. While cycles support continued maintenance, they can’t be relied on alone for the tightest security.
-
Lack of expertise in vulnerability management: Without context, teams can struggle to determine whether a patch is relevant to their specific systems. In SAP, for instance, a note might only apply to a specific module but working that out requires specialized expertise that IT teams may not have, thus delaying implementation.
These challenges can lead to systems being exposed for longer than necessary. And with attackers increasingly quick to take advantage, the window between a vulnerability's disclosure and active exploitation continues to shrink. This makes rapid response essential.
The power of proactive vulnerability management
Here’s a powerful example of proactive vulnerability management: SAP’s patch releases, are designed to safeguard organizations from rapidly escalating threats. In August 2025, SAP released CVE-2025-42957: Critical SAP S/4HANA Code Injection Vulnerability. This patch covered a vulnerability identified by Security Bridge for all SAP S/4 releases, where attackers could utilize low privileged users to bypass authorization checks and take control of systems, change business processes, install ransomware, and more.
Companies with vulnerability management tooling were immediately alerted to the threat. They didn’t need to rely on their next patching cycle to implement the fix. Complemented by in-house or outside expertise to understand criticality of the vulnerability and how the patch was best applied, companies were fully prepared to act quickly and intelligently and keep their business running smoothly.
Proactively engaging with vendor alerts, tapping into relevant expertise, and sharing any potential critical patches across the company as quickly as possible could be the difference between business continuing or grinding to a halt.
How to shift from reactive to proactive
Moving from reactive patching cycles to proactive vulnerability management requires both technical capability and organizational commitment. Here's what changes when you make that shift:
Faster response time: By actively monitoring for vulnerabilities and applying patches as soon as they are released or identified, you can support your landscape and stay one step ahead of malicious actors.
Efficient change management: Proactive vulnerability management reduces delays to patching deployment. At Turnkey, we support clients by streamlining their business processes and task ownership and helping them adopt customised, automated workflows and approvals to reduce time to implement patches.
Foster a security culture: While the implementation of fixes may be the responsibility of your IT teams, a proactive approach to vulnerability management encourages a culture of security throughout the organization. Regular security education and sharing of information creates a stronger security position. Engaging in patching collaboration with third parties also strengthens reputation as well as overall security. Remember you’re only as strong as your weakest point.
Action over reaction: With proactive vulnerability management, you’re always one-step-ahead. Tracking of critical alerts, for example SAP’s HotNews and CVSS scores, can help identify and prioritize relevant implementation.
For example, a quick response to a flagged vulnerability like CVE-2025-42957 can help eliminate the possibility of costly ransomware attacks or data breaches that could lead to legal and regulatory fines.
Access to expertise: Companies are increasingly reaching for tooling solutions to assist with understanding the risks of vulnerabilities, providing impact analysis, and cancelling out the noise. Security Bridge identified the forementioned vulnerability before SAP released the CVE note, and their customers were able to respond more quickly thanks to the early warning. That said, a layered approach that combines vulnerability management tooling with human understanding of your risk profile and business priorities will be your best bet for acting and reacting appropriately.
In summary
Vulnerabilities won't wait for your next patching cycle. Given the pace and scale of the current threat landscape, the question isn't whether your organization will face a critical vulnerability — it's whether you'll have the right combination of technology, processes, and expertise in place to respond before it becomes a breach.
Remember, effective and sustainable vulnerability management isn’t purely technical. It requires engaged teams who understand their security responsibilities, streamlined workflows that enable rapid response, and alignment between security initiatives and broader business objectives. When these elements work together, organizations can withstand disruption and achieve growth even as threats evolve.
Turnkey helps you move from reactive patching to proactive vulnerability management through expert advisory services, streamlined implementation, and ongoing managed services. We address both the technical and organizational challenges that slow patch deployment —automating workflows, prioritizing risks, building security cultures, and aligning initiatives with business goals — so you can respond faster to threats and build Digital Enterprise Resilience.
Contact us today to discuss how we can strengthen your vulnerability management.
