Patching and Configuration Management
Patching is the process of updating software or firmware to fix operational bugs, address security vulnerabilities, and potentially add new enhancements. Vendors release periodic patches for these purposes, some at regular intervals. For example, Microsoft has Patch Tuesday, where they release patches regularly on the second Tuesday of each month. Patches can be applied via automated or manual methods. Many organizations choose to manually implement patches to allow for testing and reduce the risk of unforeseen issues. In cybersecurity, patches are of critical importance as they may apply fixes for security vulnerabilities. These fixes reduce opportunities for threat actors to exploit, as well as reduce the attack surface of an organization. They can also fix bugs and help applications and systems run with more stability. Many regulatory bodies have requirements for regular patching to meet compliance standards.
Configuration management is a...
