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Attackers Don't Wait for Tuesday. Neither Should Your IT Provider.

Attackers Don't Wait for Tuesday. Neither Should Your IT Provider.

Attackers Don't Wait for Tuesday. Neither Should Your IT Provider.

Steve Copeland

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

For decades, Patch Tuesday was the rhythm of IT security. Microsoft releases patches the second Tuesday of each month. IT teams deploy them over the following weeks. Everyone sleeps soundly. That model is dead. And if you're still following it, you're vulnerable.

For decades, Patch Tuesday was the rhythm of IT security. Microsoft releases patches the second Tuesday of each month. IT teams deploy them over the following weeks. Everyone sleeps soundly. That model is dead. And if you're still following it, you're vulnerable.

The Speed of Exploitation Has Changed

In 2020, the average time from vulnerability disclosure to active exploitation was 45 days.

In 2024, it's under 15 days—and dropping.

 

Zero-day exploits are increasingly common. Attackers reverse-engineer patches within hours of release. If you're waiting weeks to deploy critical patches, you're leaving windows wide open.

 

What Modern Patch Management Looks Like

•       Critical patches: 72-hour deployment, not 30 days

•       Automated deployment: AI-driven prioritization based on your environment

•       Continuous monitoring: Not just Microsoft—all software, all the time

•       Risk-based prioritization: Patch what matters most first

 

Questions to Ask Your IT Provider

1.    What's your average time to deploy critical patches?

2.    Do you patch third-party applications or just Microsoft?

3.    How do you prioritize patches across our environment?

4.    What's your process for emergency out-of-band patches?

Sources and evidence

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