Scheduled updates ensure that firmware upgrades are applied during planned maintenance windows, reducing the impact on service availability and providing the opportunity to test new firmware in a controlled environment before broader deployment. This strategy helps in maintaining the balance between security and availability. Immediate upgrades, despite appearing proactive, might disrupt services and disregard testing protocols. Waiting for a certain number of upgrades before applying them allows vulnerabilities to exist for longer, which increases risk. Forgoing upgrades is not a viable option as it leads to outdated firmware and ignored security vulnerabilities. Manual upgrades are not efficient or scalable.