Close
  • Latest News
  • 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
  • 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 Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Database
    • Development
    • IT Management

    Microsoft, Analysts Team Up to Improve Patch Management

    By
    Brian Prince
    -
    April 15, 2009
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Ever wonder how it was that the Conficker worm spread so rapidly even though there was a patch available for the Microsoft vulnerability it exploited?

      As it turns out, the patch management process is not as straightforward or simple as outsiders might imagine. With that in mind, Microsoft is teaming up with security consulting company Securosis to create metrics that can be used to assess the efficiency of an organization’s patching process. In an effort called Project Quant, the duo will give organizations a model with which to calculate the total cost of patch management.

      “Most of the medium to larger businesses that I have worked with have at least some sort of a good patch management process in there, particularly for their desktop patches,” said Rich Mogull, founder of Securosis. “But home users, small businesses [and] all these other organizations definitely are a lot worse.”

      Even the big guys don’t get it perfect, however.

      “A lot of the server stuff is handled separately from desktops, so these patches go out way slower because they are worried about when can they take the server down, those kind of things,” Mogull said. “[Also] there’s a lot of times a misperception that, ‘Oh, we’re behind the firewall so we’re safe.'”

      The consequences of being unpatched can be dire. In its Intelligence Report for the second half of 2008, Microsoft found that 91.3 percent of attacks against Microsoft Office exploited a single vulnerability that was patched more than two years ago (CVE-2006-2492).

      In an e-mail, Qualys CTO Wolfgang Kandek told eWEEK that in general the company sees Microsoft patches being applied quickly in the beginning, reaching about 50 percent after 30 days. At that point, the patching slows down.

      “I do not know why so many machines remain unpatched, but people are definitely aware of the state these machines are in through our reporting tools,” Kandek said. “It is possible that these are machines that have just entered an organization and are temporarily unmanaged, i.e. do not have automatic patching enabled. Another explanation would be that patching and potentially impacting on the functioning of the machine poses a greater problem than the risk of exploitation.”

      Project Quant will encompass the patching process as a whole and will not just deal with Microsoft fixes. Ultimately, Project Quant will deliver a written report and a spreadsheet-based model. It is slated to be finished around June, according to the Securosis blog.

      Brian Prince

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      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.
      © 2021 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.

      ×