🎯 Purpose
✅ Expedite critical Windows security updates so they install within 48 hours, meeting Essential Eight – Patch Operating Systems (Maturity Level 3).
➡️ Expedited updates bypass update ring deferrals and install as soon as possible on devices below the target release.
👥 Who is affected
✅ Devices: All Windows devices, via the dynamic group E8-IBP-UserApplication (device.deviceOSType -eq "Windows")
🚫 Exclusions: None
☁️ What is protected
✅ Operating system: Windows 10 and later
✅ Type: Windows quality update profile (expedited)
🔐 How expediting is enforced
Setting | Value |
Expedite installation of quality updates if device OS version is less than | The critical release being expedited (for example, the 14 September 2026 out‑of‑band security update) |
Number of days to wait before restart is enforced | 1 day |
➡️ Devices below the target release install it immediately and are forced to restart after 1 day.
🔁 Naming and maintenance
✅ Create a new expedite policy for each critical release, named E8-PatchOS-Expedite Critical - <yyyy.mm> <release> M3
✅ Example: E8-PatchOS-Expedite Critical - 2026.09 OOB Security Update M3
✅ Remove older expedite policies once all devices are at or above the release
⚙️ What this policy does NOT enforce
🚫 Routine monthly updates (see E8-Windows Autopatch rings)
🚫 Feature updates or driver updates
🟢 Policy status
✅ Enabled
✅ Assigned to all Windows devices
📘 Essential Eight Alignment
✅ Patches for operating systems are applied within 48 hours when a working exploit exists (ISM‑1696)
ℹ️ Applies to Maturity Level 3
📘 Practical Interpretation (Executive‑Friendly)
This policy ensures that:
✅ When Microsoft releases an urgent security fix
✅ Every Windows device installs it and restarts within about two days
This gives an emergency patching path that doesn't wait for the normal update schedule.