Which term describes the process of creating, installing, and testing patches on systems to address bugs, vulnerabilities, and errors?

• A. Patch
• B. Patch Management
• C. Phishing
• D. Penetration Testing

Answer: (B)

Patch management is the process of handling updates that fix bugs, address vulnerabilities, and correct errors across systems. It covers the full lifecycle: recognizing what needs patching, obtaining the fixes, testing them in a controlled environment to ensure they don’t break existing functionality, installing them on affected machines, and verifying that they work as intended. This makes it the best fit for a description that includes creation, installation, and testing of patches, because it encompasses not just the fix itself but the entire workflow that keeps systems secure and up to date.

A patch, on the other hand, is the fix itself, not the ongoing process of managing how and when that fix is deployed. Phishing is a social engineering tactic used to steal information. Penetration testing is a security assessment activity that simulates attacks to find weaknesses, not the act of applying software updates.