Depending on the size of the company, for one hour of downtime there were reports of losses between 100k and 5 million dollars. Also, for a mere second of downtime, the same studies show that it can result in a 7% drop in customer conversions and a 16% hit to customer satisfaction. 

As you can see, those numbers are alarming. Customers nowadays expect uninterrupted service. Even the smallest hiccup can make customers look anywhere else. This is why server patching is important. 

What is server patching, really? 

Even servers need to be updated regularly to ensure their health and reliability. A server patch is the process of applying smaller updates named patches to the servers so they can fix some vulnerabilities or bugs and upgrade overall performance.

80-90% of attacks happen due to unpatched systems, even those ignoring something as simple as a Java patch update. If you do not update your servers, you create a gateway for cyberattacks, and it can also cause downtime. It’s very important to have a plan that includes server patching to ensure good performance and stability. After all, according to compliance and regulatory policies, unpatched servers are a no-go.  

Server patches categories 

Patches can be used for many reasons. Here’s how patches are used in the Windows context: 

• Security patches: Improve overall security by covering those loopholes that malicious actors could exploit. Microsoft and others release them regularly, and applying these patches helps to keep your systems safe.

• Bug fixes: This kind of patch is released after a troublesome bug is found, so the user experience is positively impacted, especially for those pesky critical bugs. 

• New features: Not every patch fixes problems. Some of them add features like new options, tools, or improvements. 

• Driver updates: Updating them keeps everything running smoothly, ensures that the hardware properly works, and reduces the risk of downtime. 

How server patching works 

As we noticed earlier, patches play an important role in keeping servers secure, stable, and compliant. They fix vulnerabilities and boost overall server performance. They also make sure systems follow industry and organizational standards. 

When it comes to physical servers, patching goes a step further. This also includes keeping things like BIOS, drivers, and firmware up to date, since outdated hardware layers can create hidden risks that compromise their reliability and security.  

The servers are scanned regularly for any vulnerabilities or bugs. To reduce risk, patching is often managed in rings or stages. For example, patches are first applied in a separate development or testing environment. After that, it is moved to staging and then finally to production. This way, the updates are tested properly before they can reach their destination. This process helps organizations stay safe while avoiding any side effects. 

Best practices in the server patching world 

• Patching catalogs and policies: Use trusted patch catalogs that define clear patching policies to ensure servers receive only valid and secure updates. 

• Rings and staged deployment: Implement patch rings. Patch rings are stages, such as test, pilot, and production. They’re used to verify the stability of these patches before rolling them out, so they can reduce the risk of side effects.   

• Cadence and scheduling: Create a patch cadence (monthly, quarterly, or by criticality) so that these servers run with efficiency and security. 

• Automation and monitoring: Automate deployment of patches and compliance tracking, then monitor the system health, and also make rollback features available for those failed updates. 

The final takeaway is clear: skipping server patching is a terrible idea. Organizations could face significant costs if they skip patching their servers.