Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC) – Quick Reference

What it is:
The Microsoft Security Update Guide (SUG) is the public hub for all Microsoft CVE details, security patches, severity ratings, and release notes.

Why it matters:
A single place to track vulnerabilities, verify patch availability, and confirm affected product versions—critical for SQL Server, Windows Server, Azure, Office, and more. Once you find what you’re interested in, you can then download the list of updates and associated data as an Excel spreadsheet.

Key things you can do:

• Search & filter by product, severity, vulnerability type, release date.
• Review CVE entries with full technical details, KB links, update packages, and mitigations.
• Validate scanner alerts (Tenable/Qualys/Defender) by matching CVEs to Microsoft patches.
• Monitor actively exploited CVEs and prioritize patching appropriately.
• Subscribe for monthly Update Tuesday alerts.

Best practice workflow:

1. Check SUG on Patch Tuesday (2nd Tuesday each month).
2. Use saved filters (e.g., SQL Server Critical, Windows Server).
3. Map CVEs to KB updates and confirm deployment.
4. Document remediation for auditors and customers.