Patching vulnerabilities is a difficult task. Keeping up with and patching them without disrupting users’ experience is tricky. Nonetheless, it is a necessary evil and crucial to cybersecurity hygiene and incident prevention.

On March 12, 2024, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued three Cybersecurity Alerts for Adobe, Microsoft, and Fortinet security patches.

The Fortinet release addresses five vulnerabilities CISA “encourages users and administrators to review…and apply necessary updates.” The vulnerabilities could allow a threat actor to “take control of an affected system.”

On Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released 60 (yes, 60) security updates for products, including well-known ones such as Windows Defender, Microsoft Authenticator, Skype, SharePoint, and SQL Server. Applying patches as instructed by Microsoft is recommended by CISA.

CISA also encourages administrators and users to apply six patches to Adobe products.

Applying patches quickly is a solid strategy to help prevent a cyber-attack that exploits a known exploit or zero-day vulnerability. It is hard work but worth it.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.