What Are Patches? The Complete Guide to Software Patching
Why Patching Matters More Than Ever
Patches are essential fixes for errors in modern, complex software. Patching is the single most important part of a vulnerability management program. When a vulnerability is found, you have three options:
- Accept the risk
- Implement compensating controls
- Remediate by installing the patch
Properly managing this process is a core responsibility for IT teams, which is why we cover Essential Tasks and Best Practices for Patch Administrators in a dedicated guide.
The Origin of Patches
The term "patch" dates back to the era of punch card programming. Programmers would literally place tape over incorrect holes on cards to "patch" or correct the instructions.
Who Makes Patches?
Operating System Vendors
Software giants like Microsoft regularly release updates to fix code errors and security issues. The familiar Windows Update pop-up is a prime example.
Application Vendors
Patches for business-critical applications like Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Word ensure these tools remain secure and functional.
Network Equipment Vendors
Routers, switches, and IoT devices (like video cameras) run software that requires patching too, though the process can be more complex. These devices can introduce serious risks if left unpatched, as outlined in Common Cybersecurity Threat Vectors and How to Protect Your Systems.
Patch Management in Corporate Environments
Managing patches for a single laptop is simple, but enterprise environments require specialized tools. Understanding how to use these tools effectively is a key part of Comprehensive Overview of Project Management Concepts and Practices when applied to IT operations.
| Tool | Purpose | Use Case | |------|---------|----------| | IBM BigFix | Understand available patches and automate installation | Large-scale patch management | | Microsoft SCCM | Manage Microsoft assets like Windows servers and laptops | Windows-specific patching | | Ansible, Puppet, Chef | Infrastructure orchestration for cloud environments | Automate patch layering during system builds |
Actionable Takeaways
- Install updates immediately when prompted on personal devices
- Use enterprise patch management tools to handle diverse assets at scale
- Patch first before considering risk acceptance or compensating controls
These steps are foundational to a strong security posture, which aligns with the proactive approach discussed in Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Hacking: From Basics to Advanced Concepts. For teams using automation tools, Mastering Build Systems and Dependency Management in Software Projects offers insights into integrating patching into the software lifecycle.
[Music] hi and welcome to this week's whiteboard Wednesday my name is Justin Buchanan
senior solutions manager for vulnerability management and offensive security solutions here at rapid7 today
we're going to talk about patching what are patches patches are fixes for errors that perhaps we've made and we need to
correct modern software is extremely complex and very difficult to make and as a result mistakes do happen and when
those mistakes happen we have to go back afterwards and apply a fix this is commonly referred to as a patch before
we dig in a little bit more let's understand where patches came from back in the day when we used to program
computers we would program them with punch cards we would actually use paper punch holes in it and feed those into
the machines the machines would read those various holes as instructions when we made mistakes in our instructions we
would take back the original punch card and apply a patch to the ownerís hole so that maybe actually like a piece of tape
over that hole so that it was no longer there and we'd feed those instructions back in today it's a little bit
different but it's still the same concept we're probably familiar with it when we
see the windows update box pop up on our machine that means that for some reason the software that Microsoft has provided
to us needs to be retro actively updated in some way perhaps there was an error in the code that was released or some
other kind of issue when that happens we install the updates and as always make sure you install your updates right away
every time in terms of who makes patches we mentioned one already we're familiar with Microsoft as an operating system
vendor operating systems have a really important job of managing all of the components of our computer systems for
us a lot of opportunities there for us to need to go back and maybe fix some things that we set up a certain way in
the past so they'll release patches to fix any kind of issues there we also have application vendors when we think
of this we think of some tools we use at work like slack or zoom or Microsoft Word these applications critical to our
success and also critical that we always have them patched up the best way and a
hundred percent ready for work and then we have network equipment vendors these ones are a little bit trickier when we
think about our home environment or our office environment we often have devices that are connected
but less successful to us things that come to mind is routers switches and things like Internet of Things video
cameras these also run software and that software can sometimes have issues with it and they also need to be patched and
that process might take a little bit more work but it's also just as important when we think about patches
holistically when we only have a few things to manage like just the updates on our individual laptop or just the
updates on our one router at home we can probably handle it ourselves but when we think about our modern environment at
our companies now we need some help we have quite a few different assets to take care of and a lot of diversity in
terms of the systems that we need to work with so manuals not going to work in our corporate environments and that's
where we can turn for help to tools like IBM bigfix which can help us understand what patches are available and help us
do the work of installing them Microsoft SCCM which is going to help us with our Microsoft assets our Windows servers our
Windows laptops help us make sure that the patches for those devices are installed and in our our modern dynamic
environments like cloud environments we can use our infrastructure orchestration tools like ansible puppet and chef to
help us make sure that when we're going through the process of building these assets for the first time we're
installing the operating system and then also layering on all the appropriate patches to keep those systems safe and
secure patching is the most important part of a vulnerability management program in vulnerability management when
we have identified a vulnerability we can really do one of three things we can either accept that risk for our business
we can implement compensating controls so we can do something else to make the vulnerability of that machine mitigated
or finally and most commonly we can remediate we can actually install the patch if available
to fix the issue that is causing the vulnerability on that machine if you'd like to learn more about how you can
understand all of the vulnerabilities in your environment all of the patches that are available to help correct those
issues in your environment and orchestrate the process of getting that work done of patching up those holes
head on over to rapid7 comm slash try slash inside VM that's it for this week's whiteboard Wednesday I hope that
it had you in stitches
A software patch is a piece of code designed to fix errors, security vulnerabilities, or functionality issues in an existing software program. Patching is critically important because unpatched software is one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks, making it the single most important component of any vulnerability management program.
The term originated in the era of punch card programming, when programmers would literally place tape or a physical patch over incorrect holes on a card to correct the instructions. This historical practice gave rise to the modern term used for any code fix or update.
Patches are created and released by the vendors who develop the software or hardware. This includes operating system vendors like Microsoft, application vendors like Slack and Zoom, and network equipment vendors who produce routers, switches, and IoT devices.
When a vulnerability is found, you have three choices: (1) accept the risk of not fixing it, (2) implement a compensating control to block the attack path without fixing the software itself, or (3) remediate the issue by installing the official patch from the vendor. Installing the patch is almost always the recommended first course of action.
Enterprises use specialized tools like IBM BigFix for understanding available patches and automating their installation across large networks, Microsoft SCCM for managing Windows-specific assets, and infrastructure orchestration tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef for automating patch layering in cloud environments.
When prompted to install an update on a personal device, the most important action is to install it immediately. Delaying or ignoring these prompts leaves your device vulnerable to known exploits that attackers actively target.
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