Security Patching & Hygiene

Learning objectives

• Explain the patching cadence for platforms and apps
• Apply updates safely with rollback plans
• Audit accounts and permissions periodically

Why patching matters

Most successful attacks exploit known vulnerabilities that already have patches. Updating the operating system, web server, database, and application frameworks closes these doors.

A safe update workflow

• Back up before any update.
• Apply to a staging environment first.
• Schedule maintenance windows during low traffic.
• Roll back immediately if the update misbehaves.

Ongoing hygiene

• Review active accounts and remove dormant ones.
• Confirm two-factor authentication on privileged access.
• Re-verify access lists after staff changes.

Key takeaways

• Known vulnerabilities are the top attack vector.
• Test updates before production, and back up first.
• Periodic account audits reduce insider and forgotten-access risk.