Patch Tuesday - Microsoft OneCare Live

Patch Tuesday

Here we go again, the eve of Patch Tuesday.  Patch Tuesday is the second Tuesday of each month, on which Microsoft releases security patches.  Patch Tuesday evolved out of "Windows Update" that started with Windows 98.

Initially the Windows Update system suffered from two problems. The first was that the less-experienced user was often unaware of Windows Update and did not run it.  Microsoft's solution to that was the "Automatic Update," which notified each user that an update was available for his system.  Secondly, the problem with Automatic Updates was that sometimes it broke previously working software programs which caused problems for customers with many copies of Windows.  IT techs not only had to update every Windows deployment in the company but also uninstall patches issued by Microsoft that broke existing functionality.

In order to reduce the costs related to the deployment of patches, Microsoft introduced "Patch Tuesday". Security patches are accumulated over a period of one month and then dispatched all at once on the second Tuesday of each month.  System administrators may prepare, troubleshoot and resolve any conflicts and decide the best appropriate course for their systems.

The contents of this month's Patch Tuesday updates can be found at the following link; http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS10-sep.mspx

Also if you haven't already, you can sign up for an automatic notification from Microsoft that will be issued 3 days in advance, this link is; http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/dd252948.aspx

Exploit Wednesday

Did you know that the day following Patch Tuesday has become known as Exploit Wednesday?  Malware writers analyze the patch and quickly develop code to attack new entry points knowing that there will be an entire month before Microsoft releases any patch to fix it.

Microsoft OneCare Live

Microsoft once had a for pay anti-virus/malware system, "OneCare" that is now available for free.  Not only does it scan for malware and viruses, it also has a Registry Check/Fix that works very well.  To do a full scan takes some time depending upon how many files you have on your system... so allow time for the scan to run.  Start it if you are going to be away from the computer for awhile.  It is well worth the time.  Click here for the Microsoft OneCare link.