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Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

CS Weekly Tip#2 – 5 Reasons Why Patching Is More Critical Than Ever

This week’s CyberSecurity Tip reveals the main reasons why patching is very important and what happens if users don’t keep their OS up to date

patching

For almost as long as people have used computers and networks, malware has existed attempting to compromise, subvert and damage these systems. Failure to keep operating system and application software up to date is a common mistake made by (IT) professionals. Despite extensive testing, all operating systems and applications are released with “bugs” (errors in the software) that affect security, performance, and stability. Most estimates for the number of bugs in published software range from 5 to 20 bugs per 1,000 lines of code. Below I have outlined 5 reasons why patching is so important.

 

1.Common Exploits

A huge percentage of cyber attacks are directed toward commonly found exploits in operating systems. The harsh reality is that if your server has an IP address its probably being scanned right now by automated tools that detect exploits. Unpatched systems will generally result in a breach.

2. The Rise of Document-Based Malware

Document based malware sees embedded scripting silently downloaded and installed on the users computer. Often these downloaded payloads take the form of the worst kinds of malware out there, rootkits that steal information from your system or botnets that make your system part of the malicious networks used to attack both companies and networks to continue the spread of malware and spam. To a large degree, many of the most common document-based malware types take advantage of un-patched operating systems and programs.

3. Increased usage of Virtualised Environments

Most organisations use virtualised servers because it simplifies IT infrastructure creating a more dynamic and flexible system. This allows IT departments to have a great IT architecture but it can also create allot of confusion when it comes to efficient and effective patching. The multiple operating systems allow for gaps to appear where hackers can easily gain access through common exploits.

4. Reverse Engineering on newly released Patches

Instead of sifting through millions of lines of code looking for the holes, it seems like most malicious developers wait for the vendor- particularly Microsoft- to release the patch first. By reverse engineering the patch they can find out exactly where the flaw is and how the vendor repaired it. The patch provides an enormous amount of detail about the flaw and allows a malicious developer to learn where the weak spot is so they can exploit it.

5. User Error

Despite all the more sophisticated attacks taking place the biggest danger is still the users of the system. The lack of awareness means that people are an easy target for exploitation. As soon as the click on the link in Twitter or Facebbook, download the dodgy file or open an unsolicited email the window has been opened for a more sophisticated attack.

>>Lessons learned<<

– The obvious one is that keeping your patches up to date is essential.

– Timing is critical. If patches are released and you are delaying installation, then you risk a far higher chance of a breach.

– People are always the weakest link in the chain so user education is crucial.

– Finally as you become more dependent on IT and invest in more software its important to have an audit trail. Controls are not as effective without the proper assurance system in place to make sure they’re doing what you think they should be.

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