What is patch management and why is it critical?

Patch management is the systematic process of identifying, testing, and deploying software updates that fix security vulnerabilities and bugs. It is critical because unpatched vulnerabilities are one of the most common attack vectors. A structured patch management process includes inventorying all systems and software, monitoring vendor announcements and vulnerability databases for new patches, assessing patch criticality and relevance, testing patches in a non-production environment, deploying patches within defined timeframes based on severity, and verifying successful installation.