Why we patch IT

by | Jun 5, 2019 | Business, Cybersecurity

Windows updates interrupt your day, restart your computer and are generally annoying. So, what is it with all of these updates?

 

Well, in the increasingly complex world of Windows computing, your computer must deal with a lot more to make your experience fast, easy, stable and most importantly, secure.

computer keyboard

Why are these updates so darn important?

Well, for starters, your computer(s) and network have a lot of moving parts. In order for your computer to function properly, Windows, software and hardware must all work together. Patches provide your computer with necessary improvements related to security, stability, compatibility, performance, added features and driver updates. All of those bits may not have been perfect the day that they were shipped and they may have flaws that cause problems or create vulnerabilities. And, often if one item changes, it results in a domino effect causing something else in the computer to change. It’s terribly complex, but you can think of it like an 18th century clock with many gears, pulleys and levers, carefully balanced to, for the most part, work.

But why do I need these updates if I have antivirus?

Antivirus is important, but it is reactive —it will kick the bad guy out after they have already accessed your computer. Windows security updates prevent hackers from exploiting your computer by preventing them from accessing important parts and doing harm until your antivirus notices it and can react.

Okay, so patches are important, but do I need to do anything?

Yes! Windows does check and install updates automatically but it isn’t exactly flawless. Sometimes updates do not complete, get stuck and some are missed entirely.

You can check to see if you’re up-to-date by going into your control panel and clicking on Windows Update.

There are even better paths to getting updates, with managed patching solutions, that can monitor updates on all of your computers, look for updates that are missing and forcibly push updates on a schedule so that computers are maintained with a system that watches your back.