Home » Data Protection » Application Security

Opinion

Vulnerable Windows Machines? Shocking!

[FUD Watch with CSO Senior Editor Bill Brenner] Vulnerability clearinghouse Secunia releases new research suggesting nearly all Windows PCs are at risk. Didn't we know that already?

By Bill Brenner, Senior Editor

Page 2

Kaspersky Lab Security Evangelist Ryan Naraine made the point in one of my recent podcasts that enterprises continue to struggle with the patching upkeep.

Companies are getting better at deploying security updates for their operating systems and Web browsers. But as Naraine noted, admins and users consistently overlook available patches for the third-party media players and .PDF readers everyone is using.

So while the Secunia research is good food for thought, nobody should be stunned.

The advice from security experts remains the same: It pays to take a regular inventory of all the systems on the network and have a process to track, install and manage patches. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but most IT administrators are smart enough to hammer out a system that works for them.

About FUD Watch: Senior Editor Bill Brenner scours the Internet in search of FUD - overhyped security threats that ultimately have little impact on a CSO's daily routine. The goal: help security decision makers separate the hot air from genuine action items. To point us toward the industry's most egregious FUD, send an e-mail to bbrenner@cxo.com.