Security and support compliance are two important reasons to upgrade and patch your Oracle Database. According to the Oracle blog3, “Security is one of the most important reasons to patch your database. Every quarter Oracle releases security patches as part of the Critical Patch Update (CPU) program. These patches fix vulnerabilities in the database software that could be exploited by malicious attackers.” Additionally, according to the Oracle blog4, “Support compliance is another reason to patch your database. Oracle provides different levels of support for different versions of the database software. To be eligible for certain support services, such as Extended Support or Sustaining Support, you need to apply the latest patches available for your version.”