Sometimes you can’t win. Patching, and the right time and process for doing so, is very much a case in point.
Patching used to need more planning and manual intervention, but as internet access has improved, many manufacturers now provide built-in Updater Services. Microsoft have taken this further, resorting to patch-guerilla tactics: Ambush Updates. They know what’s best for you, and if you won’t restart your PC then they will. Usually, this will always be when it’s least convenient for you, such is Murphy’s Law.
It leaves many simply shrugging their shoulders and letting nature take its course. Better to let systems self-update, then clear up the mess if and when problems arise. It’s a simple risk/benefit assessment and much like attitudes to security breaches, if you’ve been lucky enough to avoid the expense and hassle so far, you probably assume it will never happen.
For the software producer, the chief concern is with making sure products are secure. The convenience for the user and any consideration for the impact on other software is secondary. That’s not to say a manufacturer won’t test their updates before releasing them, but guaranteeing success for everyone across an endless variety of unique IT environments is impossible.
Read this full article written by NNT CTO, Mark Kedgley, in Security Magazine here