Have you ever noticed some of those system maintenance-type updates posted to our social media outlets? Many times, we’re letting you know what patches are installed that month.
What are patches, you ask? Software patches repair holes in software programs, similar to the way fabric patches repair holes in clothes.
Patches are updates that fix a particular problem or vulnerability within a program. Sometimes, instead of just releasing a patch, vendors (like Microsoft) will release an upgraded version of their software, although they may refer to the upgrade as a patch.
At home, you’re used to downloading and installing updates when your software or operating system prompts you to. With IT@Sam and the University, that process is a little different.
When patches are available, vendors usually put them on their websites for users to download. IT@Sam has a dedicated team testing these patches before releasing them to all campus-managed workstations.
Our team wants to make sure they are compatible with all of our other software and operating systems. Releasing a patch without testing might cause another application or software to act differently. When that happens, our team works on figuring out another technical solution to help the patch and other applications and software to “play nice.”
When it comes to your personal technology at home, make sure to:
- Download software or patches from official websites. If you want to download patches for a Microsoft product, go to the Microsoft website directly.
- Do not trust a link in an email message.
- Beware email messages that claim they have attached the patch to the message.
If you ever have any questions about software patches, contact the Service Desk at 4-HELP.
Source: The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)