Long before Taco Tuesday became a part of the pop-culture vernacular, Tuesdays were synonymous with security — and for anyone within the tech world, they still are. Patch Tuesday, as you most probably know, refers back to the day every month when Microsoft releases security updates and patches for its software products — all the things from Windows to Office to SQL Server, developer tools to browsers.
The practice, which happens on the second Tuesday of the month, was initiated to streamline the patch distribution process and make it easier for users and IT system administrators to administer updates. Like tacos, Patch Tuesday is here to remain.
In a blog post celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Patch Tuesday, the Microsoft Security Response Center wrote: “The concept of Patch Tuesday was conceived and implemented in 2003. Before this unified approach, our security updates were sporadic, posing significant challenges for IT professionals and organizations in deploying critical patches in a timely manner.”
