Virtual patching is a way of implementing a security policy to eliminate or mitigate a security vulnerability. It is not actually patching, thus the name virtual. It is a way to do something very quick and external to the application and it is not used nearly enough in cybersecurity defense. Why not just use a patch? Sometimes there is no patch available. Other times speed is of the essence and patching will not be complete for some time. And, patches sometimes introduce risk that something will break. Virtual patches avoid this risk altogether. Atomicorp CEO Mike Shinn developed some of the earliest examples of virtual patches and breaks down what they are, when they are used and why they are gaining in popularity.