Notice Details

Due to evolving cyber threats and the growing number of related updates released by suppliers, following consultation with the University’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), IT Services is introducing a regular maintenance window from Tuesday 15 July to enable an effective, coordinated, and consolidated approach to applying critical security updates and patches to our on-prem systems.

The regular maintenance window will take place on Tuesdays from 7am – 9am.

During these windows – which have been planned for out-of-hours periods to minimise disruption – services should be considered at risk, with further communications to key business owners to confirm any actual outages. “At risk” means the service could be briefly unavailable during the maintenance window.

Please note: These windows are separate to more significant system upgrades and emergency work that needs to take place. Any additional downtime to this window will still be communicated via My Notices.

Why patching matters
There are numerous benefits to conducting patching during established maintenance windows, including:

• Mitigating cyber security risks: Unpatched systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, potentially compromising sensitive data and University operations
  
  
• Ensuring regulatory compliance: Adhering to patching schedules is crucial for maintaining Cyber Essentials certification and securing Government funding for research
  
  
• Maintaining operational continuity: Regular updates ensure the availability of new features and enhancements, improving the digital experience for all users.

What do I need to do? 
Please ensure that your teams are aware of the scheduled maintenance windows, and the importance of these updates. It will help to encourage teams to plan around maintenance windows to minimise operational impact.

Additionally, please report any issues or concerns to the IT Service Desk as soon as you experience a problem.

Finally, brush up on cyber security best practices with advice and guidance from our Behind the Hack campaign.

IT Services Service announcements