Security Management Strategies for the CIOAccess "Patch deployment best practices: Rushing patches isn't always better"
This article is part of the September 2004 issue of Mission critical: Securing the critical national infrastructure
Are you a procrastinator? If so, you have plenty of time to put off installing Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. In fact, consider this an opportunity to rethink patch deployment best practices altogether. But, this really isn't procrastinating; it's being prudent. Unless there's a worm slamming your perimeter, you shouldn't ever rush to deploy patches, hot fixes or service packs. SP2 is no exception, despite unquestionable security benefits: the default-on firewall, secure browsing and e-mail settings, and better malware resistance. This is no ordinary service pack installation; it's akin to a full upgrade. SP2 is massive--the enterprise version weighs in at more than 266 MB, and the home version is about 80 MB. Given its complexity and the inevitable application conflicts and snafus, most shops are waiting until they've completed their own testing or seen the snags hit by early adopters (see NewSCAN). As a colleague of mine said, "I never met a service pack that I wanted to blindly deploy." Let's face it: No one runs a pure OS-anything shop. Most networks are... Access >>>
Access TechTarget
Premium Content for Free.
What's Inside
Features
-
-
U.S. critical infrastructure security: Highlighting critcal infrastructure threats
by STEPHEN BARLAS, ALAN EARLS, MICHAEL FITZGERALD, JERRI LEDFORD AND DENNIS MCCAFFERTY
Despite heightened post-9/11 security awareness, the U.S. is exposed to numerous critical infrastructure threats.
-
Outsourcing best practices: Identifying offshoring risks
by Erik Sherman, Contributor
Offshoring is good for business, but lax security practices can torpedo your investment.
-
U.S. critical infrastructure security: Highlighting critcal infrastructure threats
by STEPHEN BARLAS, ALAN EARLS, MICHAEL FITZGERALD, JERRI LEDFORD AND DENNIS MCCAFFERTY
-
-
Web app security devices highlight source code vulnerabilities
by James C. Foster, Contributor
Emerging Web app security services and products bring source code vulnerabilities to light, writes James C. Foster.
-
Web app security devices highlight source code vulnerabilities
by James C. Foster, Contributor
-
Columns
-
Security practitioners should demand security intelligence sharing
by Lawrence M. Walsh
Would you tell your enterprise security secrets if you could hear others? Lawrence Walsh explains why he thinks communication in the security field is lacking.
-
Forming enterprise security best practices from past mistakes
by Jay Heiser, Contributor
Measuring risk and forming best practices relies on learning from past experiences. Analyst Jay Heiser explains how security tactics in the past, echo in todays world.
-
Patch deployment best practices: Rushing patches isn't always better
by Victor Garza, Contributor
Do you rush to deploy patches, hot fixes or service packs as soon as possible? Victor Garza explains why this may not necessarily be the right decision.
-
What the Watchfire-Sanctum acquisition means for Web app security
by Pete Lindstrom, Contributor
See why Watchfire's acquisition of Sanctum does not spell the end for web app security.
-
Information security careers: Are information security officers a dying breed?
The information security officer will soon go the way of the dodo bird.
-
Security practitioners should demand security intelligence sharing
by Lawrence M. Walsh
More Premium Content Accessible For Free
Next-generation firewalls play by new rules
E-Zine
Firewalls started their journey to the next generation at about the same time as the Star Trek TV series. While the products have advanced with ...
Developing your endpoint security management transition plan
E-Handbook
This TechGuide will help you develop your endpoint security management transition plan. Articles focus on overcoming the challenges of Web-based ...
Unlock new pathways to network security architecture
E-Zine
Network security architecture is showing its age at many organizations. With new technology, different data types, and use of multi-generations of ...