Risk-based patch management startup Action1 Corp. has today announced that it has raised $20 million in new funding for research and development, focusing specifically on implementing zero-knowledge architecture into its platform.

Founded in 2018, Action1 pitches itself as the No. 1 risk-based patch management platform for distributed networks. The company’s platform assists organizations in discovering, prioritizing and remediating vulnerabilities in a single solution to prevent security breaches and ransomware attacks. Zero-knowledge architecture involves the ability for a user to confirm information without revealing it, so data is encrypted by the user, not in a vendor’s cloud.

Action1’s platform seeks to address the ongoing issue wherein unpatched vulnerabilities accounted for 82% of all cyberattacks. The company argues that with most businesses operating increasingly distributed networks due to the shift toward remote work, effective patch management has become a critical aspect of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

The company claims that zero-knowledge protocols are increasingly becoming necessary in cybersecurity to ensure that transactions within a system are encrypted and validated without revealing sensitive information. Doing so adds a crucial layer of defense that significantly reduces the risk of successful supply chain attacks.

Many businesses are said to overlook this vital security process. The reasons include the complexity of modern information technology environments and the lack of automation in patch deployment. On average, enterprises have 67 applications per device, yet 73% do not automate third-party patching, a procedure that takes 2.5 times longer on remote endpoints.

To address these issues, Action1 says, it offers a patching engine with a 99% success rate. With the upcoming addition of zero-knowledge architecture, the company aims to bring superior resilience to patch management, making it a highly secure, easy-to-use solution for the modern, distributed enterprise.

“Action1… provides enterprises with easy-to-use and powerful solutions for continuous patch compliance, all fortified by advanced security measures,” co-founder and President Mike Walters said ahead of the release. “These measures ensure the highest level of protection for the product and its underlying infrastructure, effectively addressing the evolving needs of modern distributed enterprises in mitigating the threat of supply chain attacks.”

The company’s zero-knowledge architecture update is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2024.

Image: Action1