Patch and Protect
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Patch and ProtectLast week was patch week for Microsoft, when they make available the patches for the month. It's been a process that some like and some don't, but overall I think the regularity has served both Microsoft and Windows administrators well.
However there was an unusual announcement last week as well. The US Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory for Windows that recommended applying the MS06-040 patch to systems. Many news outlets picked this up, including our own Database Daily and others.
It was kind of lost in the announcements of terror plots being uncovered and new airline regulations being put into effect late last week. However it's something that everyone should take a look at and examine whether they are vulnerable and need the patch. An exploit has been reported and if we've heard of one, there are probably others out there. There's already been a report of an attack by a botnet, so get patching!
The security debate is something we'll probably never get away from: how best to release information, patch systems, who's responsible, etc. But it's also important as we get to an ever more connected world that we take care protecting each system we have.
Steve Jones
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I have been quite diligent here rolling out patches... but with the testing of IE7 and a few recent ones they seem to have been a bit buggy or at least the preconditions for thier deployment have not been as clear and have had less 'side effects' than previous ones.
It almost smacks of a push to force upgrade to vista. I hope not for end user angst is not my preferred subject to deal with. I feel many of the 'improvements' to different programs updated via 'microsoft update' could be better organzied into better specific 'control panels' rather than a single one where the effects between 'coupled' apps are not neccessarily clarified without sometimes an extensive tech net search.
Maybe I'm losing drive this late in the summer with not enough down time to recoup or maybe the article with the 'big picture' of app interdependency hasn't been written yet.
If 'Bill' wishes to throw me some charity, I might be obliged to research said information as a go to guide, but for now I'll play wait and see with the next big patch, for corrections....
Cheers.
Edward W. Stanley 'Sport'
Information Systems Architect 'Express'
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I'm no security expert. I'm just a one man band that has put SQL Server and Window to good and profitable use but after reviewing Steve's article I seem to notice a trend here.
I may be wrong but .. everytime I look at specific exploit descritptions in Windows products (IE, SQL, WIN???) it seems like I also see the word "buffer overflow".
What the heck is with that ??? After 15,974 different "buffer overflow" exploits cant Redmond get it right ?? Or stop using the techniques in their code that cause this ???
Sorry to vent, but if I made the same mistake over and over I would be history.
Del
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