Long before Taco Tuesday became part of popular culture, Tuesdays were synonymous with security, and for anyone in the tech world, they still are. Patch Tuesday, as you probably know, refers to the day each month when Microsoft releases security updates and patches for its software products, from Windows to Office and SQL Server, developer tools and browsers.
The practice, which takes place on the second Tuesday of every month, was started to streamline the patch distribution process and make it easier for users and IT system administrators to manage updates. Like tacos, Patch Tuesday is here to stay.
In a blog post celebrating the 20th anniversary of Patch Tuesday, the Microsoft Security Response Center wrote: “The concept of Patch Tuesday was conceived and implemented in 2003. Prior to this unified approach, our security updates were sporadic, posing significant challenges for IT professionals and organizations in deploying critical patches in a timely manner.”