Blogs and Posts

Are All Microsoft Security Patches Safe to Install?

• By: Garry Feldman
• Date: November 25, 2015

It seems that almost every day there are new security patches or updates to install to your windows servers and clients. While most IT support teams know the importance of security, is it really necessary to install each and every update to your windows machines? Some question if it is even safe to do so. Here are some thoughts on when it might be best to install windows security patches.

What Can Go Wrong?

The first thing you need to ask yourself is, what can go wrong? Security patches can often change security settings or alter permissions to certain folders. If you have software that needs a specific set of permissions or access to certain files that is later removed, this can cause a lot of problems.

First, critical software might not work at all. Remember, Microsoft is there to ensure that windows is fixed and patched. They are not necessarily looking out for every other software you might have installed on your machine. Many security patches can interfere with software running on windows.

Secondly, and this is a rare occurrence, but a security patch may introduce a bug to your systems. If the bug is serious enough it could bring down critical servers or hinder employees ability to get work done. Typically bugs like this are fixed quickly, but you should ask yourself if you can afford the downtime if something goes wrong.

A Balancing Act

Knowing when to apply a security update is really a balancing act for your IT support team. Your team needs to weigh the potential risks of installing the update against the severity of the security issue that it addresses.

That means taking a look at what threat you are going to be eliminating and what you might be sacrificing if something goes wrong. Many times you can safely apply a security update because you know it isn’t going to affect anything on your machines. Other times you might need more caution because a critical function on a server might be affected by the update.

Why Not Consider Proactive Care Plus (PCP)

With everything else that your IT team has to do, there is likely not time for you to be doing heavy research on all of the security updates that are out there. That is why US Computer Connection offers a PCP service.

We can help your IT department by doing that research for you, this includes helping you with your security updates.

Along with proactive patch management, is our top notch Cyber Security services that can help you protect your network from cyber threats that exist. Your data and security are critical to your business and we can help make sure it stays safe.

Check out what security solutions we can offer your Westchester or Fairfield County IT team. Contact U.S. Computer Connection today!