Latest news with #0patch
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Forbes
New Windows 7 And Windows Server 2008 Security Updates Confirmed
Windows 7 users get good security update news. NurPhoto via Getty Images Security updates are very much in the news at the moment, what with a no-reboot patching feature for Windows 11 and Microsoft's announcement that hotpatching will cost at least $1.50 per core for Windows Server 2025 users. Yet, with hundreds of security vulnerabilities being uncovered that impact Windows users, and cybercriminals evolving to strike at record speed, the matter of keeping on top of security updates has never been more vital. Unless you are a user of a Windows platform that has reached end-of-support status, such as Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, for example. There simply are no security patches available for these two platforms. Or are there? I have some good news for you if you just can't bear to part ways with your favourite Windows computer. The secret to the continuing availability of security patches to protect your systems if you are a hardened Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 user has been hinted at in a number of my articles. On March 27, I reported how a zero-day vulnerability impacting everything from Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 to the latest Windows 11 v24H2 and Server 2025 could be mitigated even though Microsoft didn't have any official patch at the time. Back on Dec 7, 2024, I reported how another zero-day, impacting all Windows users, could be fixed using the same method. Those fixes came by way of a micro patching service called 0patch — the same service that can now save you if you want to keep your legacy Windows systems alive and protected. 0patch addresses the vulnerability gap between zero-days being discovered and any official patch being released. It does this by providing what it refers to as micro patches, much like the subscription fee incurring Windows Server 2025 hot patch system. These work by applying the fix in memory without disturbing the process itself and without requiring any reboots. Posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, on April 29, Mitja Kolsek, the CEO of ACROS Security, the company behind 0patch, said: 'Due to (wow!) growing demand, we've decided to extend support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with security patches for another year (Jan/2027). Reminder: our security patches are the only security patches existing for these Windows versions.' Wow, indeed. So, if you are a user of either platform, now is the time to reach out and get those micro patch security updates to protect your systems and your data. You only have one other choice, it would seem, and that's to remain at risk of attack.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Forbes
No Reboot Security Updates Come To Windows 11 — But There's A Catch
Security hotpatching comes to Windows 11 Enterprise. Windows updates, especially Windows security updates, are an essential yet often annoying consequence of using Microsoft's operating system. Without them, you would be unable to stay on top of the threat from newly discovered vulnerabilities, for example. However, when one of these updates installs a mysterious new folder, without proper explanation, and sets off a whole new social media privacy conspiracy, the annoying side comes to the fore. It's not as annoying, though, as having to wait for your device to go through the reboot cycle that installing Windows security updates brings to the party. Microsoft has taken note and introduced a new 'hotpatching' function to Windows 11 that enables security updates to download and install in the background, deploying them within running process in-memory code, and without any rebooting required. If you are using the correct version of Windows 11, that is. And there, dear reader, comes the catch. The really good news is that in confirming the arrival of the new security update hotpatching process, Microsoft said that it means 'users can continue their work without interruptions while hotpatch updates are installed,' with no restarts required for the remainder of that quarter. All of which while taking effect immediately to provide 'rapid protection against vulnerabilities.' If you could see me, you would notice me standing up and cheering at this point. You might also spot that I have sat straight back down again with a glum expression. That's because the April 2 Microsoft announcement quickly poured water on the excitement by adding that the feature is only available to Windows 11 Enterprise, version 24H2 for x64 (AMD/Intel) CPU device users. Oh, and they will need Microsoft Intune for deployment as well. Don't get me wrong, this is great news for organizations that meet the requirements. As David Callaghan, who authored the announcement, said: 'With hotpatch updates, you can quickly take measures to help protect your organization from cyberattacks, while minimizing user disruptions.' But it does leave the rest of us wondering when we will get the same treatment. There is one glimmer of hope for Windows 11 users, and that comes in the form of the 0patch micro-patching service, which uses a patching agent to apply fixes in memory without disturbing the individual Windows process concerned. This a subscription-based service, although it releases zero-day micro patches for free to bridge the gap between them becoming known and Microsoft fixing them officially. Maybe Microsoft should buy 0patch and then roll it out to everyone.
