Crash Course: Security patching and upgrades

Keeping your network safe and secure is a never ending job. Just when you think your defenses can't get any better, a new worm hits the net or a flaw is detected in your hardware. That's where security patching and upgrades come in. Get the latest news and tips on security patching and upgrades in this Crash Course.

FEATURED TIP

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

Patching after a security breach

The typical cure for an external security breach is to undo the damage and patch to prevent that type of attack from happening again, whether it was a worm or an exploit that takes advantage of a specific buffer overflow condition. However, the approach you take directly following a security breach may be the difference between preventing a future occurrence or leaving your systems open to attack once more. Here are some special considerations to keep in mind. More ...

TIP: Handling patch emergencies

Managing an Active Directory (AD) environment means systems administrators must successfully juggle the horde of patches from Microsoft. Learn eight steps you can follow to manage patches for your AD domain controllers. Read the full tip here ...

TIP: Five essentials of a patch management solution

Whether you create a solution in-house or purchase one of the many products available, there are key criteria you need to consider to ensure your patch management solution is effective. Read the full tip here ...

ATE: Can you explain the importance of upgrades and patches and what the differences between the two are?

SearchNetworking.com expert Carrie Higbie discusses what patches and upgrades can do for your network and what, exactly, the differences are between the two. Read the full response here ...

More security patching and upgrades tips and resources:

Network safety relies on reaction time to Patch Tuesday
Taking a wait-and-see approach before installing updates on Patch Tuesdays can leave your company vulnerable to attacks, thanks to zero-day exploits. Take some steps to ensure that your network assets have "defense in depth."

Should Microsoft change its patching process?
Most IT pros still like Microsoft's monthly fix schedule, but in the face of increasing zero-day attacks, they'd like more out-of-cycle fixes as well.

This was first published in May 2006

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
    Back to top