Sweet 16...Security Patches, That Is
Best get your troops ready this Tuesday (hopefully they had Columbus Day off and are rested,) 'cuz there will be no less than 16 patches waiting for them.
I wouldn't exactly freak as I believe Microsoft is more proactive than most (or arguably all) vendors in admitting its own flaws. And let's be honest, between Windows and Office, Microsoft has an attack surface the Taliban would drool over (fortunately, their computer skills are as backwards at their philosophy).
Some experts believe the large release has more to do with the time of year than actual vulnerabilities. The idea is that IT slows down as the holidays approach -- so load 'em now while they have your full attention.
In any event, you or your subordinates will be busy this Tuesday. Sixteen sounds like a lot, but only four are critical; the rest are expected to make it through surgery.
Overall, nearly 50 'vulnerabilities' are handled -- which represents a record (Lindsay Lohan's doctors may beg to differ).The biggest IT hassle is remote code execution, which accounts for a perfect 10 in this patch batch.
Posted by Doug Barney on 11/29/2010 at 1:18 PM