Re: Automated Patching and Updates?

[Bruce Purcell <bpurcell () CSUHAYWARD EDU>]

At Cal State Hayward, we are evaluating SMS for that very purpose. We've
done some successful tests, but we are not in full production. Note: This is
just for Enrollment Services, not the entire university. Overall, we are
just starting to look at different vendors. But, as we have a contract with
Microsoft and SMS does work (I have used it elsewhere), we've just started
going down that route on our own.

We are combining SMS with Mcafee's ePolicy Orchestrator. We have a site
license for Mcafee VirusScan and Firewall and are implementing ePO to push
.dat files and firewall rules.

Bruce Purcell

Enrollment Services

Cal State Hayward

-----Original Message-----

From: Christian Grewell [ <mailto:christian () NYU EDU>
mailto:christian () NYU EDU] 

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 7:45 AM

Subject: Re: Automated Patching and Updates?

 

Just a quick question for the list.

Is there anyone out there evaluating or using SMS (systems management

server) for the purpose of 'pushing' both security patches and/or
application updates? True, there's quite a bit of overhead compared with SuS

- plus there's the need to login to a domain for advanced security features.
It's *possible* to use certain features using standard windows auth. In SMS,
but then you run into scalability issues.

SuS does seem like a glorified windows update client, though I like the
ability to approve updates - the logs are a bit cryptic, but those can be
parsed to show what machines *downloaded* the patch - but you still can't be
100% sure that the patch was successfully applied. I'm just afraid it would
still mean going out to the client machines in a time of crisis.

I'd be interested in hearing what anyone thinks the advantages and
disadvantages are using SuS.

Thanks!

Christian Grewell

Information Technology Services

New York University

christian () nyu edu

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: The EDUCAUSE Security Discussion Group Listserv [
<mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU>
mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Craig W. Drake

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 10:35 AM

To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU

Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Automated Patching and Updates?

 

> From what I have read, it is supposed to be permanent.

 

Craig W. Drake

Windows NT/2000 Server Administrator

Networking and Distributed Services

Northeastern Illinois University

Phone: (773)442-4386

Email: c-drake () neiu edu

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Bradford B. Saul [ <mailto:saulbb () JMU EDU> mailto:saulbb () JMU EDU]

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 9:34 AM

To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU

Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Automated Patching and Updates?

 

Any idea if this is permanent or just a point in time due to the current
issues....

Brad

> Microsoft recently added (without any forwarning) W2kSP4 and XPsp1 in

> their SUS updates.

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Bradford B. Saul [ <mailto:saulbb () JMU EDU> mailto:saulbb () JMU EDU]

> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 10:16 AM

> To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU

> Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Automated Patching and Updates?

>

>

> Just a side note on the SUS Server. How are schools that are using

> the SUS server handling Service Packs? From what I understand SUS 

> does not support the distribution of Service Packs, and if the user 

> has altered their registry to point to SUS.college.edu they will not 

> be notified of Service Pack availability.

>

> Brad

> -----------------------------------

> Bradford B. Saul

> Lead Network Engineer

> IT - Network Engineering

> Hoffman Hall Room 10, MSC 1401

> James Madison University

> Harrisonburg, VA 22807

> V: (540) 568-2379

> F: (540) 568-1696

> M: (540) 435-3079

> saulbb () jmu edu

>

> > -----Original Message-----

> > From: Sadler, Connie [ <mailto:Connie_Sadler () BROWN EDU>
mailto:Connie_Sadler () BROWN EDU]

> > Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 8:20 AM

> > To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU

> > Subject: [SECURITY] Automated Patching and Updates?

> >

> >

> > Given all of the recent worm activity, etc., it seems timely to

> > gather

> some

> > information from you folks regarding what you are already doing - or

> > planning to do - in terms of pushing updates and patches out to your 

> > user communities in a way that is not too "intrusive". We all work in

> > diverse environments where many of our users are also sensitive to

> > having someone else "touch" their machines. Yet it seems a losing 

> > battle to continue to manually update workstations in some areas when

> > they are being

> automatically

> > attacked in very sophisticated ways.

> >

> > Can you folks please share with us:

> >

> > 1) What you are already doing now - in terms of pushing or

> > automating patching or updates?

> >

> > 2) What you are evaluating or looking at for doing this kind of

> > thing -

> and

> > in what areas of your environment?

> >

> > 3) What technologies you are familiar with and what platforms the

> solutions

> > support?

> >

> > Thanks much! I am willing to summarize the input I receive if I get

> > enough good feedback...

> >

> > Connie J. Sadler, CM, CISSP, CISM

> > Director, IT Security, Brown University

> > Box 1885, Providence, RI 02912

> > Connie_Sadler () Brown edu

> > PGP Fingerprint: 452A C178 1450 9CE1 3AC1 CC12 956F 2C55 DB94 A9C7

> > Office: 401-863-7266

> >

> > **********

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> > discussion list can be found at  <http://www.educause.edu/cg/>
http://www.educause.edu/cg/.

> >

>

> -----------------------------------

> Bradford B. Saul

> Lead Network Engineer

> IT - Network Engineering

> Hoffman Hall Room 10, MSC 1401

> James Madison University

> Harrisonburg, VA 22807

> V: (540) 568-2379

> F: (540) 568-1696

> M: (540) 435-3079

> saulbb () jmu edu

>

> **********

> Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE

> Discussion Group discussion list can be found at 

>  <http://www.educause.edu/cg/> http://www.educause.edu/cg/.

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> Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE

> Discussion Group discussion list can be found at 

>  <http://www.educause.edu/cg/> http://www.educause.edu/cg/.

>

-----------------------------------

Bradford B. Saul

Lead Network Engineer

IT - Network Engineering

Hoffman Hall Room 10, MSC 1401

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 22807

V: (540) 568-2379

F: (540) 568-1696

M: (540) 435-3079

saulbb () jmu edu

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