In a scenario where new vulnerabilities are discovered every day, the time between the disclosure of a failure and the application of the official patch may pose a significant risk for the operation of the companies.
It is precisely in this interval that Virtual Patching acts — offering an extra layer of protection, capable of blocking exploration attempts even before the correction is available.
What is Virtual Patching?
Basically immediate protection against vulnerabilities without relying on updates
Virtual Patching is a preventive mitigation approach that applies smart security rules to prevent attacks aimed at known vulnerabilities (CVEs), without the need to change the source code or restart systems.
Instead of relying exclusively on software updates, the mechanism acts by creating an extra layer of traffic inspection, analyzing and blocking patterns associated with exploits and malicious behaviors.
Case of practical use
Imagine a scenario where a critical server has a newly disclosed vulnerability, but the official patch has not yet been released by the manufacturer — or the maintenance window is scheduled for another time.
With Virtual Patching active, the environment remains protected: suspicious traffic is intercepted and blocked in real time, drastically reducing the risk of compromise.
How Blockbit NGFW applies Virtual Patching
In Blockbit NGFW products, Virtual Patching is implemented through the Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).
This engine analyzes real-time network traffic using constantly updated signatures to identify and block communications corresponding to known CVEs or operating techniques.
Thus, even if the official patch has not yet been applied, the environment already has immediate and automated protection.
Benefits for customers and partners
reduction of the exposure window to newly disclosed threats;
effective temporary mitigation until the official update is applied;
Continuous coverage with real-time IPS subscription updates;
No noticeable impact on system availability or performance.
Why This Is Relevant
Virtual Patching reinforces the in-depth defense strategy, helping organizations maintain a consistent level of security even in complex or critical environments — such as government, health, finance, and industry.
It is a practical, fast-to-implement solution that maximizes the protection of existing investment in Blockbit security infrastructure.
