Users need to keep their PCs fully secure all the time

May 7, 2015 06:36 GMT  ·  By

With Windows 10, Microsoft can finally discontinue Patch Tuesday, and thanks to its plans to release updates when they’re available, without the need for a pre-set rollout every month, users might not only receive patches and fixes at a faster pace but also keep their computers fully protected all the time.

Since Patch Tuesday would no longer exist, the way updates are delivered to computers would play a much more important role, especially because, in some cases, users’ approval might be required to deploy specific patches.

Chris Goettl, product manager for Shavlik, told us that installing the updates as fast as possible after their release date continues to be a priority for both consumers and organizations because cybercriminals move fast when it comes to exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities.

“We have always recommended organizations have certain groups of users adopt updates immediately upon release. Remote users and laptop users (the road warriors) would be good groups to put in the faster-moving branches,” he said.

Make sure you patch third-party apps too

In addition to Windows updates, which in Windows 10 will be released as soon as their development is completed, app hotfixes are also key to staying secure, Goettl explained, so a weekly cycle that would require you to install every new version and update for all software installed on your computer is becoming more or less mandatory.

“On premise machines that have multiple layers of defense could remain on long-term service branches and keep more to monthly maintenance schedules, but we would still urge customers to move any end user machine to more aggressive update schedules. We recommend weekly updates as the number of third-party releases throughout the month are quite high and include a lot of security-related updates,” he added.

Indeed, with Windows 10, the whole update process is going to change, but many are already praising Microsoft for its new approach and for letting Patch Tuesday go.

It’s a well-known fact that Patch Tuesday often brought botched updates that did more harm than good, so with Windows 10, less computers are expected to be broken down by patches that aren’t thoroughly tested before their release.