Software maintenance is an important component of the software development life cycle (SDLC), as it is the phase that ensures that updates are performed in a timely and complete manner and that software remains current and useful. Such maintenance includes the installation of patches (patch management) as well as other changes (change management) to address system or technology modifications that could affect the functionality and security of the software.
Patch management is the process by which updates to software are identified, implemented, and tested. Patches are generally provided by the software vendor, with some vendors issuing patches on specific days of the week (e.g., Patch Tuesday). The failure to implement patches results in systems that are not as secure as they could be, given known vulnerabilities for which solutions (i.e., patches) have been developed and delivered.
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