Patch Tuesday

What does it mean, and is this concept familiar to you?

Patch Tuesday is a monthly release cycle where Microsoft releases security and product updates on the second Tuesday of each month. This process is crucial for addressing common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) that could compromise system and software security.

This approach creates a predictable method for updates and patches, making it easier for professional IT administrators to manage and plan accordingly.

It's essential to thoroughly test and verify the stability of updates before deploying them to production systems, like for example one of the best practices methods is to create a test group or use specific devices for initial deployment, allowing you to monitor the results and stability before a wider rollout to production.

Here's a table of Patch Tuesday dates till the end of 2025:

This should cover all Patch Tuesday dates for the rest of the year, however they may on occasion change according to particular circumstances.

Also there is few terms used for releasing patch updates like Out-of-band (OOB) releases for unscheduled patches and Optional non-security preview releases for early testing of updates before the official wide release.

OOB releases

Out-of-band (OOB) releases are from the naming its out of the usual scheduled updates and there when in case it happens to be an crucial and argent security vulnerability or devices getting impacted that require immediate patching.

In conclusion

Now you know what is Patch Tuesday and Microsoft’s release cycle that they are vital for System Administrators to maintain secure, stable environments. Regularly deploying updates helps to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensures optimal system performance. Prioritizing these improvements is critical for mitigating risks and maintaining an effective cybersecurity posture throughout your infrastructure.