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Perils of Patching
The lead bogeymen in the patch-management nightmare are patch volumes and frequency, resource availability and operational impact.
On Microsoft platforms alone, there were 51 advisories released in 2003, and the frequency got as high as several critical flaws per week. On a more macro level, our Security Threat Watch newsletter reported more than 1,040 vulnerabilities in 2003.
In a bid to curb growing enterprise discontent, Microsoft moved this year to a seemingly more consistent patch-release cycle--its "second Tuesday of the month" strategy (see "The Microsoft Patch Trick," for our take). However, many organizations are less concerned about the timing than they are about the numbers and impact.
"Because of the volume and impact, the release cycle is becoming less relevant," says George Collins, head of security for a large Midwest manufacturing and automation company. "There are more applications that become finicky and fickle around the patches, and while we still need the patches, patching is a nightmare no matter how you deal with it."
With the move to the cloud, CISOs must shift priorities from operating security programs to overseeing (monitoring and auditing) outsourced cybersecurity programs.
2022 was a boon year for IT salaries. 2023 came in like a beast with layoffs, raise freezes, and ChatGPT, but that beast has few teeth.
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