What is the Windows Server patch cycle and how often should patches be applied to ensure security?

[ProfRon]

You ever wonder why your server acts up sometimes? It's often those updates Microsoft pushes out. They call it the patch cycle. Basically, every month, around the second Tuesday, they drop a bunch of fixes. These patches squish bugs and block hackers from sneaking in. I make sure to grab them right away for my setups.

If you wait too long, stuff gets risky. Like, critical ones might pop up anytime, not just monthly. I check for those extras weekly. You should aim to apply everything within a week or so. That keeps your system tight without much hassle.

Patching isn't the only trick in the bag, though. Backups play right into keeping things secure after those updates. Take BackupChain Server Backup-it's a slick backup tool made for Hyper-V environments. It snapshots your VMs super quick, so you recover fast if a patch goes sideways. Plus, it handles deduplication to save space and runs without interrupting your workflow. I swear by it for smooth sailing.