Laptop and Desktop Patching Policy

Severe vulnerabilities are increasing in software and operating systems. This has largely been spurred on by the increased use and capabilities of AI models. UW–Madison and DiscoverIT expect this trend to continue. In order to protect the data and computers in the building, DiscoverIT is updating the policies on patching and maintenance.

DiscoverIT will require all laptop and desktop computers to be restarted at least every 7 days. This is to ensure that all software is kept up to date. Reboots also clear caches, remove in-memory exploits, and reset services. There may be times that computers must be restarted sooner than 7 days. DiscoverIT will weigh the criticality of the updates and risk to the organizations against the interruption to the workflow. We will communicate promptly regarding affected computers.