Re: Microsoft Security Bulletins

[Michael Halm <Michael.Halm () CCMAIL NEVADA EDU>]

Here we send out an e-mail alert on patches we consider critical to
network security. We send out a second notice a week later. 10 days more
or less (depending on whether an exploit is in the wild) we put up a
redirect server on outgoing port 80. We scan every half hour and create a
list of unpatched hosts. When the users of these hosts try to go to a web
page, they are redirected to our page that explains the importance of the
patch and has a link to instructions and download for the patch. At first,
we give them an option to click through the page and continue to surf.
After a few days, they cannot click through until five or ten minutes have
elapsed. After a few more days, an hour. And finally, they cannot get www
access out until they patch. This method usually gets all but a few dozen
to patch. Those few dozen we hunt down.



Michael Halm
Network Operations Center
University of Nevada Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas Nv  89154
702-895-0726




"Walsh, Brian R. (Information Services)" <brwal () CONNCOLL EDU>
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        Subject:        [SECURITY] Microsoft Security Bulletins


Microsoft has just sent out two "Security Bulletin Summaries". One for
Exchange Server and one for Windows (although they messed up the subject
on the second one). They also included a link in both messages that
doesn't work. Otherwise these messages look legit. It looks like this is
one of the ways they are trying to be more responsive to newly identified
security vulnerabilities.

The Windows updates are being handled here by Software Update Server but
we are struggling with how to communicate the importance of installing
critical updates to students. How are you dealing with this?

I also noticed that MS now has a free support line for security patches
1-866-PCSAFETY. Has anyone used this? Is this somethging we should pass
along to students?

Brian Walsh
Information Security Officer
Connecticut College

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