Patching
Ok. I'm sure most of you have read some article here or there about MS Patching and RPC exploit, MSBLast.exe etc etc.
As a web developer who also picks up overflow IT helpdesk calls, I can firmly say MS HAVE GOT IT WRONG!
Many of our help-desk clients are computer users, just as I am a car driver. If my carburettor broke, I'd have to get someone to fix it, but I can change my own oil and water, put air in the tyres etc. I know other car drivers though who can't. I also know people who have baths and taps, but they don't lag their pipes, or flush them through with pipe-cleaner every year.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
MS need to adopt the stance that there are some users who do not know how to put a URL in the address bar. Their argument might be that there is the windows update icon in the start list and the tools menu, and every now & then, you're forced to go to the update page. I like that, I really do, but techno-phobes DO NOT READ, nor do they comprehend that their badly patched system could help in bringing down the internet, or a power station (!), the Stock Market - whatever.
If some kid from Elbonia can infect your machine with a worm that does a,b,c then surely MS could do the same but in a positive way. The 16th July patch should have been forced onto everyones computers, like it or not. There would be issues with that, sure, like you couldn't put it on Win2k SP2, or NT4 pre SP6. Sometimes, the patch broke Office, which then required imaged machines to have the original install disks. But in the long run, things should have been better.
This time, I think the internet got off lightly. I'm not so sure if next time will be so painless. What if some disgruntled musician hacker decides to attack every machine in the world that has Kazaa on it? What then? And then someone decides to have a pop at people playing Counter Strike, or whatever.
The below snip from MS, aimed at people who are interested in security and are therefore likely patched anyway, is too little too late.
You are receiving this message because you are a Microsoft newsletter subscriber. Please print this page for your reference.
It is very important that you check the Security site regularly for the most recent news: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=221015
In This Newsletter:
--Who Is Vulnerable
--4 Steps for Home Users
At 11:34 A.M. Pacific Time on August 11, Microsoft began investigating a worm reported by Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS). A new worm commonly known as W32.Blaster.Worm has been identified that exploits the vulnerability that was addressed by Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026.
Who Is Vulnerable?
Users of the following products are vulnerable to infection by this worm:
. Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0
. Microsoft Windows® 2000
. Microsoft Windows XP
. Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003