What is Automatic security updates?

Configuring the system to install security patches automatically so known vulnerabilities get closed without waiting for you.

How it works

Most real-world compromises exploit vulnerabilities that already have patches. Auto-installing security-only updates closes that window. On Ubuntu this is the unattended-upgrades package.

Example

In practiceYou enable unattended-upgrades to apply security patches nightly, so a freshly-disclosed flaw is patched before you'd have manually updated.

Auto-update everything or just security?

Security-only is the safe default. Full auto-updates can pull in changes that break a running service.

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