Resilience, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.”

In cybersecurity, resilience is a foundational principle. The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines cyber resilience as “the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from, and adapt to adverse conditions, stresses, attacks, or compromises on systems that use or are enabled by cyber resources.”

Anticipating misfortune.

Cyber resilience means anticipating potential issues and addressing them before they escalate. One of the most effective ways to do this is by keeping systems current and patched. Patching involves updating software and systems to fix vulnerabilities or bugs, which helps reduce security risks and keeps everything running smoothly.

Patching a Windows computer is a relatively quick task, usually taking between five to 15 minutes, though some updates can take up to an hour. Larger systems, like application servers, typically require a bit more time—often one to two hours, and sometimes as much as eight to ten hours for more complex updates.

Taking this time for routine patching is well worth it when you consider the alternative. Recovering from a cyberattack can take far longer—on average, about 22 days, and sometimes several months.

Withstanding misfortune.

Even with regular patching, not all cybersecurity incidents can be prevented. In 2023 alone, cybercrime led to an estimated $12.5 billion in losses. Additionally, an automated patch recently released by CrowdStrike, which had not been properly tested in live environments, resulted in a worldwide outage. This outage led to an estimated $5.4 billion in losses, as reported by Parametrix. However, companies that had prepared multiple defenses fared better in handling the risks. In cybersecurity, this layered approach is known as “defense in depth.”

To improve your cyber resilience, make sure to regularly patch your devices and implement multiple layers of security. Resilience isn’t just about enduring tough situations – it’s about being prepared for them in the first place.