Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Database
    • Database

    Damming the Database Holes

    By
    Lisa Vaas
    -
    September 1, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Eight months after the SQL Slammer worm threw SQL Server database administrators into a tizzy, Microsoft Corp. is committing itself to providing semiautomatic updates that will patch holes in the enterprise database.

      The Redmond, Wash., company began working on automatic patching immediately after Slammer struck in late January, according to SQL Server Group Product Manager Tom Rizzo. By exploiting known holes in the database for which patches were available, the worm brought the Internet to its knees as it generated billions of attacks on SQL Server installations.

      Patching the process
      Possible ways Microsoft could improve patch distribution
      Action Result
      Offer free CDs Keep home users from clogging containing patches network connections
      Streamline patch Increase the likelihood patches delivery and installation will be installed
      Source: Michael Cherry, Directions on Microsoft Inc.

      Microsoft was criticized at the time for making installations of SQL Server patches too difficult or timeconsuming. The effort to smooth out the patching process is ongoing, with no end date in sight, Rizzo said.

      Under consideration is an agent that will act in a similar manner to that of the bubble that pops up in Windows systems to alert users when updates are available. This agent contains links to a site that lists available patches for specific systems and gives users the opportunity to choose which patches they want to install.

      If Microsoft decides to integrate such an agent, it would be available in the upcoming update of SQL Server, code-named Yukon. It would also work with SQL Server 2000 and possibly with SQL Server 7.0, Rizzo said.

      The agent is not a guaranteed fix, Rizzo pointed out. Because SQL Server is a server as opposed to a desktop client, there might not always be a user sitting in front of a monitor. “There may be no one logged in to see that little window pop up in a lights-out environment,” he said.

      /zimages/1/26680.gifRead about the latest SQL Server worm.

      The need for Microsoft to help users with patch management was reinforced by the Blaster worm last month that exploited Windows holes for which patches existed. Recently reported SQL Server worms such as Voyager Alpha Force also lie in wait to trip up those who dont follow best security practices.

      User reaction to Microsofts automatic update efforts is mixed. Steve Foote, a consultant with Enswers Inc., in Cambridge, Mass., said users could flood Microsoft Web sites by updating en masse, and the service could be spoofed. “With security patches, you want a level of authentication between the agent doing the work and the site doing the downloading,” Foote said. “You dont want anybody spoofing the URL to get you to pick up bogus patches.”

      The arguments didnt hold water with all users. Aaron Lipman, chief technology officer for Entertainment Earth Inc., in North Hollywood, Calif., said users dont all open their e-mail at the same time and wouldnt click on “update” at the same time, either. “In general, its a good idea,” Lipman said, given the fact that DBAs have to be far more proactive in staying up-to-date with SQL Server than with Windows.

      Discuss this in the eWeek forum.

      /zimages/1/26680.gif

      Lisa Vaas
      Lisa Vaas is News Editor/Operations for eWEEK.com and also serves as editor of the Database topic center. Since 1995, she has also been a Webcast news show anchorperson and a reporter covering the IT industry. She has focused on customer relationship management technology, IT salaries and careers, effects of the H1-B visa on the technology workforce, wireless technology, security, and, most recently, databases and the technologies that touch upon them. Her articles have appeared in eWEEK's print edition, on eWEEK.com, and in the startup IT magazine PC Connection. Prior to becoming a journalist, Vaas experienced an array of eye-opening careers, including driving a cab in Boston, photographing cranky babies in shopping malls, selling cameras, typography and computer training. She stopped a hair short of finishing an M.A. in English at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She earned a B.S. in Communications from Emerson College. She runs two open-mic reading series in Boston and currently keeps bees in her home in Mashpee, Mass.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×