Security Patch Management Software

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Security Patch Management Software

• By Nicholas Twomey

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Protect Yourself

• Several years ago, a worm called Zotob attacked
  Windows 2000 computers at ABC, CNN, United Parcel
  Service, and many other companies.
• The worm searched for weaknesses in these
  companies computer networks.
• A system infected with this worm would reboot,
  crash, or slow to a crawl.

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• This worm takes advantage of the Microsoft
  Windows Plug and Play vulnerability to propagate
  across networks
• When the worm detects an unpatched system, it
  drops a script that downloads a copy of itself
• Also it modifies the system's HOSTS file adding
  several lines to the IP address mappings in
  order to prevent access to certain antivirus Web
  sites

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Key Players that provide security patch software

• Cisco, Altiris, BigFix, Blue Lane Technologies,
  Ecora Software, LANDesk Software, Microsoft,
  PatchLink, Shavlik Technologies, St Bernard
  Software

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Blaster Worm at Stanford University

• In mid-2003, the Blaster worm ripped through the
  schools network and infected 8,000 of 25,000
  Windows desktops.
• Restoring the infected machines took about four
  hours per machine which is more than 30,000 hours
  of labor.

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Darden Restaurants

• Have you ever eaten at a Red Lobster or an Olive
  Garden?
• These are restaurants part of Darden that use
  BigFix to automate their patch deployment.
• Thanks to this software Dardens patch deployment
  is much more efficient and cost effective.

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There are many example of companies dependant on
patch management software

• Hughes Supply based out of Orlando, FL, uses
  LANDesk
• MT Bank in Buffalo, NY, uses Microsoft's update
  service
• Defense contractor Lockheed Martin uses
  Patchlinks Software for its servers.
• Progress Energy, Raleigh, NC, uses BigFix
• Xavier University uses Cisco Systems Clean
  Access Agent

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• Learn from Experience
• With all of the threats of internet worms and
  viruses it is important for companies to protect
  themselves

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• THE END