Setting up the first scan was simple. Targets may be defined by hostname, IP, domain, and Active Directory organizational unit; we also had the flexibility to ignore select target machines and to define groups and sub-groups from any combination of the above criteria.
Upon successful scan of our Windows test environment, analysis of the results was clearly presented and easily acted upon. We could view missing patches either by machine or across the entire scan and arrange them by patch number, product name, severity and frequency of occurrence. We could also see which ones are able to be uninstalled.
For deployment, we could select patches manually or use context menu options to install all patches, or all critical patches. Once deployment content is specified, we moved on to method of deployment, choosing now or later, rebooting before and/or after the patch, copy speed, use of distribution centers, e-mail results notification, and so on. In testing the copy speed, we noted a difference between setting 1 and setting 5 for a 12 MB patch, so bandwidth throttling does work. But even larger tests didn't spike network usage enough to be noted on our network traffic monitors we have set up, so no specific metrics were gathered to quantify throttling. However, when we attempted to defer a deployment for later, we observed NetChk copying patch files immediately upon scheduling, not at the scheduled time. Shavlik told us that this behavior is designed to ensure patch availability at scheduled deployment time and avoid delays in deployment due to lags in copying.
Results of the deployment clearly showed when patches failed and in testing also listed a suspected cause for failure. Removal of an installed patch worked flawlessly. NetChk Protect pricing for 300 Windows machines plus 300 VMs running Windows was $19,200, including one year of maintenance.
Michael Biddick is with Windward, a firm that helps organizations improve it operational efficiency. Michael is also contributing editor for Network Computing/Information Week. Write to him at [email protected].
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
