What are System Patches?

A patch is a small piece of software designed to update or fix problems with a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing bugs, replacing graphics and improving the usability or performance. Though meant to fix problems, poorly designed patches can sometimes introduce new problems.

Security patches are the primary method of fixing security vulnerabilities in software. Currently Microsoft releases their security patches once a month, and other operating systems and software projects have security teams dedicated to releasing the most reliable software patches as soon after a vulnerability announcement as possible. Patching Tips

It is best to have computers automatically download and apply all critical security patches as soon as they are available. Malware authors write their software to attack security holes on systems that are not patched.

Patching Resources

Here are some Microsoft Windows resources for automating your security patches.

• How to turn on automatic updates
• Windows Downloads – Internet Explorer 7, Windows Defender and more.
• Windows Update website