Insights

This month's briefing

• SAPSep 8, 2026Security advisory

  September Patch Day: 19 new notes, four rated critical, including a CVSS 10.0 flaw

  If you run NetWeaver or S/4HANA, review the critical notes first. The next Patch Day is October 13.

  SAP Support
• MSFTSep 8, 2026Security advisory

  Record Patch Tuesday: roughly 970 fixes and two zero-days already exploited

  The two exploited flaws hit Windows Update and ALPC. Patch those within days, then work down by risk.

  Help Net Security
• ORCLJul 21, 2026Security advisory

  Oracle's largest Critical Patch Update yet: 1,449 security patches across 334 products

  E-Business Suite took the most fixes. Oracle now also ships monthly security patches, so plan for a faster cadence.

  Oracle
• EOLOct 13, 2026Deadline

  Final patches for Server 2012/R2 and Windows 10 consumer ESU; Server 2022 leaves mainstream support

  Anything still on these versions after October 13 stops receiving security fixes. Inventory now.

  endoflife.ai
• PATCHOct 13, 2026Heads-up

  Next SAP and Microsoft patch day lands Tuesday, October 13

  Block time for testing and rollout now, especially for internet-facing systems.

  SAP Security Notes
• ORCLOct 20, 2026Heads-up

  Oracle's next quarterly Critical Patch Update arrives October 20

  Schedule testing now for E-Business Suite, JD Edwards and database tiers.

  CSO Online
• EXCHNov 1, 2026Deadline

  Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 extended security coverage ends

  Plan the move to Exchange Online or Subscription Edition before coverage lapses.

  endoflife.ai
• ECCDec 31, 2027Deadline

  SAP ECC 6.0 (EHP 6-8) mainstream maintenance ends; extended maintenance to 2030 costs extra

  Systems on EHP 5 or earlier already left mainstream maintenance at the end of 2025. Check your release level now.

  IBsolution
• IBM2026Research

  IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2026: the U.S. average reaches $11.5 million

  The global average hit a record $4.99M. Teams using security AI and automation cut costs by about $1.9M.

  eSecurity Planet
• IT$Apr 2026Market

  Gartner sees worldwide IT spending reaching $6.31 trillion in 2026, up 13.5%

  AI infrastructure is driving the growth. Expect AI add-ons in every renewal you negotiate.

  Gartner via 01net
• NETVOct 6, 2026Architect's take

  Architect's take: four dates every IT leader should have on the calendar this fall

  Lai Long on October's patch days, the Windows Server 2012 and Windows 10 cutoffs, and why patching has become a capacity problem.

  NETVarista
• NETVOct 2026Announcement

  New reference design: AI agents resolving invoice exceptions across SAP, Oracle and Azure

  Follow one invoice through the agents, the guardrails and the human approval.

  NETVarista