Patching
Patching updates software to fix vulnerabilities, bugs, and stability issues.
Updated: 2026-03-05
Definition
Patching applies updates that fix security vulnerabilities and defects.
A patch management process includes testing, scheduling, deployment, and verification.
Key points
- Fixes known vulnerabilities
- Needs testing and rollback plans
- Critical part of security hygiene
Common mistakes
- No patch cadence leading to long-known exploits working.
- Patching without backups/rollback causing outages.
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