Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • 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
  • Video
  • 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 Applications
    • Applications

    Is Microsoft to Blame for SQL Slammer?

    Written by

    Anne Chen
    Published June 2, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      DALLAS—Microsoft Corp. and its customers need to take joint responsibility for security issues such as the SQL Slammer worm, which brought down systems all across the world earlier this year, several large enterprises said here at the TechEd conference on Monday.

      During an enterprise customer panel, Nathan Hanks, the managing director of technology for Continental Airlines, admitted that the worm hit the company hard as it brought down its gate check-in systems.

      “We cannot have undocumented servers that are responding to anonymous queries on DDP that allow buffer overruns. CIOs need people in place to figure out why port 1434 is open on publicly exposed firewalls.

      “If those ports werent open, slammers would be a non-event. We have MSDE on every single gate PC in our hubs. We immediately failed at putting people on planes. Thats the issue at hand. Microsoft needs to fix that, and we truly believe that they will,” he said.

      But, at the same time, the airline has to own up to its responsibility and the fact that those open ports were exposed and that the worm penetrated its firewall. As any developer can write bad code, this is not necessarily Microsofts fault.

      “My Linux server at home has three times the number of critical updates than my Windows XP box, which sits right next to it. Its just a fact that all the guys hacking Microsoft are Linux guys, thats the game here,” Hanks said.

      Gafar Lawal, the director of architecture at financial services firm Merrill Lynch agreed that the Slammer worm was not just Microsofts fault. “It [the SQL Slammer Worm] is Microsofts fault. It is our fault also,” Lawal said. “We took it seriously that we did not install the patches that were required. We also took it seriously that Microsoft had such a flaw in their code,” he said.

      The issue is what processes customers took to address the issues that occurred. “We immediately started taking steps to make sure patches were applied on time,” Lawal said.

      Stan Sorensen, a director for SQL Server management, told eWEEK in an interview on Monday that both Microsoft and its customers have learned a lot from Slammer. In a series of customer feedback sessions following the worm, Microsoft learned a number of things.

      “Many customers told us they were not aware of all the places that SQL and MSDE were in their environments. We found that those customers who had really locked down and monitored their systems had less issues with the worm,” he said.

      Customers also told Microsoft in no uncertain terms that they want help going forward to ensure that their systems are truly locked down. They also want an easier way to deal with and install the volume of patches coming from the company.

      “There are currently a lot of ongoing discussions around this and what we can do to improve monitoring and management,” he said.

      More TechEd News:

      Anne Chen
      Anne Chen
      As a senior writer for eWEEK Labs, Anne writes articles pertaining to IT professionals and the best practices for technology implementation. Anne covers the deployment issues and the business drivers related to technologies including databases, wireless, security and network operating systems. Anne joined eWeek in 1999 as a writer for eWeek's eBiz Strategies section before moving over to Labs in 2001. Prior to eWeek, she covered business and technology at the San Jose Mercury News and at the Contra Costa Times.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      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
      Video

      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
      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.
      © 2024 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.

      ×