← Blog · 01 Sep 2026

Ubuntu Security Updates: Turn On Automatic Patching

Unpatched software is the most common way servers get hacked. Ubuntu can install security fixes by itself.

Set it up

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

This installs only the security pocket by default, which is low risk.

Edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades:

Unattended-Upgrade::Mail "you@example.com"; to get a report.
Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "true"; and Automatic-Reboot-Time "03:30"; so kernel updates apply at night.
Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Dependencies "true";

sudo unattended-upgrade --dry-run --debug
cat /var/log/unattended-upgrades/unattended-upgrades.log

Live kernel patching (Ubuntu Pro) avoids reboots for supported setups.
Control panels such as CWP or cPanel update their own software; keep their auto-update on too.
Keep backups. Updates are safe, but backups are your real insurance.