Microsoft Windows Autopatch: enhancements to update approval control and management capabilities

🚨 The Signal: Windows Autopatch now offers enhanced control over Windows OS and .NET Framework updates, including automatic/manual approval and deferral options. This improves patch management flexibility and reporting for security and non-security updates.

The Impact

Security teams and IT admins are affected, gaining improved control over critical security patching, reducing exposure to known vulnerabilities.

• Security Teams: Reduced risk from unpatched vulnerabilities due to better control over update deployment.
• IT Admins: Streamlined update management, allowing for more strategic rollout of security and non-security patches.
• Organisations: Improved compliance posture for patching requirements and reduced attack surface.

The Action

1. Review existing Windows Autopatch policies for quality updates.
2. Configure automatic or manual approval settings for Windows OS and .NET Framework updates based on update type (security, non-security preview, out-of-band).
3. Define appropriate deferral periods for automatic approvals to support gradual deployments.
4. Configure quick machine recovery approval and deferral settings within quality update policies.
5. Monitor device-level reporting for approved releases, deployments, and remediation status.

Domain: Intune · Impact: medium · Workload: Intune · Essential Eight: Patch Operating Systems, Patch Applications · ISM: ISM-0304, ISM-1407, ISM-1501, ISM-1621, ISM-1622, ISM-1623, ISM-1654, ISM-1655, ISM-1690, ISM-1691, ISM-1692, ISM-1693, ISM-1694, ISM-1695, ISM-1696, ISM-1698, ISM-1699, ISM-1700, ISM-1701, ISM-1702, ISM-1704, ISM-1807, ISM-1808, ISM-1876, ISM-1877, ISM-1889, ISM-1901, ISM-1902, ISM-1905