A temporary mitigation is a short-term control used to reduce risk before a permanent fix is available. It does not remove the underlying flaw; instead, it narrows the attack surface, limits what an attacker can do, or makes abuse harder to execute.
In cyber security, temporary mitigations matter because patching is not always immediate. Administrators may need time to test updates, coordinate maintenance windows, or wait for a vendor release. Common examples include disabling a vulnerable feature, tightening permissions, blocking a network path, or turning on extra logging. In real incidents, these measures can slow active exploitation and buy defenders time, but they should be treated as stopgaps. Once the full repair is deployed, the temporary control should be reviewed and removed or replaced with a stronger lasting safeguard.