Symantec: Microsoft patches fastest

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fastest of them all? If you're talking about security patches, it looks like the answer is Microsoft. Contrary to popular belief, Microsoft was found to be the overall fastest when it comes to patching vulnerabilities, in security vendor Symantec's latest security report on the malware industry. Covering the period from July 1 to December 31, 2007, the comprehensive report reveals that Microsoft released a total of 60 patches over the course of 2007, with an average patch time of 18 days during the first half of the year, and just six days during the second half. In second place was Red Hat, with an average patch time of just over a month--quite a bit higher than Microsoft. Meanwhile, Apple, HP and Sun all lag far behind.

For more on the report:
- see this Ars Technica article