The process of acquiring, testing, and applying software updates to fix vulnerabilities and keep systems current.
Patch management is the disciplined handling of software updates. It involves tracking which systems exist, identifying available patches, prioritizing them by risk, testing them, and deploying them in a controlled way.
Because many breaches exploit known, unpatched vulnerabilities, timely patching is one of the most effective ways to reduce exposure. Mature programs measure how quickly critical patches reach all systems.
Related frameworks
KaitoSec