• 2 min read
Install Windows updates within 3 days, Microsoft says
Microsoft now says Windows quality updates should be installed in under three days as AI helps attackers exploit flaws within hours.
Image: PCWorld
Microsoft is telling users and IT teams to stop sitting on Windows updates. Ahead of July’s Patch Tuesday, Jeremy Chapman, a director at Microsoft 365, said the company now recommends deploying Windows quality updates in less than three days because attackers are using AI to move much faster.
According to Windows Latest, Chapman said Microsoft has “updated our recommendations for deploying Windows updates to less than three days as the deferral period for quality updates,” with deadlines set to zero or one day and a grace period of no more than two days.
That marks a clear shift from the long-standing habit of waiting days or even weeks before installing updates to see whether they cause bugs or stability problems. Microsoft’s argument is that once a vulnerability becomes public, AI can help attackers analyze it and build an exploit in a matter of hours, making delayed patching far riskier than before.
Microsoft is also accelerating its own response. In June, the company patched a record 206 vulnerabilities. It has also built an AI-based security tool called MDASH, which scans Windows code for suspicious patterns, with AI agents then communicating to diagnose real issues.
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Security Editor
Sophia unpacks the invisible wars happening on our networks. Covering cybersecurity, privacy legislation, and cryptography, she exposes how our data is weaponized and defended. Before joining for(geeks), she spent years as a penetration tester. She's the reason the rest of the team uses physical security keys.
via PCWorld
