Patch’d and punk’d

Patch’d and punk’d

Do software patches do more harm than good? As Dave Kearns notes, Microsoft recently said that sometimes you won’t see a software vulnerability exploited until after the patch for it is released. In other words, the patch lets lazy hackers know where the hole is. Bonus: Kearns has an amusing quote from Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer about the lure of Linux.

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0308kearns.html?vo

Security starts in software

You can build walls around your systems, but it’s much better to build secure software from the get-go. Network World Editor-in-Chief John Dix this week highlights a new book that seeks to point out the most common sources of software security vulnerabilities, in the hopes that software designers will eliminate them.

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0308edit.html?vo

AT&T’s secret weapons

By all accounts, AT&T is hurting. As Johna Till Johnson relates, the service provider has had troubles ranging from its stock price to failed strategies to poor customer service ratings. But in a twist, this is a pro-AT&T column.

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0308johnson.html?vo

Is offshore outsourcing more trouble than it’s worth?

To some, outsourcing sounds like a great money-saving idea. But researcher Daniel Blum says outsourcing brings with it security considerations. With new regulations requiring the privacy of your customers, can you be sure your outsourcers will adhere to those regulations?

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0308blum.html?vo