critical updates

Dumb mistakes made by IT pros

Judi Hasson — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:12:08 -0400

In the IT world, things can go very wrong, and sometimes mistakes are unavoidable. What's more, little problems can often become big problems because of plain, old, dumb mistakes. TechRepublic.com has compiled a list of the most common dumb things IT pros do that can mess up their networks.

No. 1: Don't have a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plan. It's a simple matter, but apparently many overworked administrators see backups, or at least an updated backup strategy, as a waste of time and effort until it is needed; dumb mistake.

No. 2: Ignoring warning signs like having to constantly reboot a mail server or sidestepping complaints from staff that their Web connectivity mysteriously drops for a few minutes and then comes back.

No. 3: Not documenting changes to the server's configuration settings. "You'll be glad you did if a physical disaster destroys the machine or the operating system fails and you have to start over from scratch.'' notes TechRepublic.

There are other stupid things IT pros do that can make a complete mess, like rushing through the installation of critical updates, or thinking they are saving time and money by putting off upgrades, such as security measures. And of course, there is the problem of trying to please all people all of the time, and, conversely, not trying to please anyone at any time.

For more on avoiding dumb mistakes:
- check out this TechRepublic.com article

April Patch Tuesday cometh

Mehan Jayasuriya — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:18:44 -0400

Another month, another Microsoft Patch Tuesday. What's in store for us this month? Well, it looks like we'll be seeing eight patches total, five of which will be labeled as "critical". The critical updates will address code execution vulnerabilites in both Windows and Internet Explorer. Affected versions are as follows: Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and all versions of Internet Explorer. In addition to the critical fixes, the company will patch two "important" vulnerabilites relating to spoofing and unauthorized user privilege elevation attacks in Microsoft Office. More on the patches next week.

For more on the coming patches:
- see this Information Week story

Taking a proactive approach to IT support

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Although there are times when it's tempting to react to IT problems as they are encountered, it's much more productive to treat them pro-actively whenever possible. That means everything from the simplest installing of antivirus software on every computer in the organization to failsafe backups. Other proactive measures include downloading and installing all critical updates and locking down your systems via firewalls and setting up comprehensive intrusion detection systems.

Learn more about acting pro-actively:
- read the blog at Computerworld

Patch Tuesday Comes and Goes, Word still a threat

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

Microsoft dropped seven patches on the world yesterday--three of which were marked critical. The critical updates included a script handling fix for IE5 and IE6, aimed at preventing malicious downloads from completely compromising systems. The other two critical patches close holes in Windows Media Player and Visual Studio 2005. Noticeably absent from Microsoft's offering were fixes for the MS Word Trojan flaws, which have a number of people avoiding word documents altogether.

For more on this:
- check out this article from the Register
- get your patches here

Related Articles:
MS Office: Can't live with it, can't live without it. Report
Dec. Patch Tuesday targets Windows, Visual Studio. Report

Microsoft to break patching record

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:01:39 -0400

For the third time in five months Microsoft's Patch Tuesday will push out double-digit fixes for vulnerabilities in Windows, Office and even the .Net framework. The 11 security patches feature two "critical" updates. The October patch release brings Microsoft's patch total to 66--very close to the record-setting number of 69 that the vendor released in 2002. It's a good bet it will break that record given there are two more months left in this year.

For more on October's Patch Tuesday:
- read the article over at TechWeb
- Microsoft's recent patch woes. Article

PLUS: IIS server bug causing concern. Article