Newsletter Archives

• Why is software security so hard?

  Posted on February 10, 2025 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I’ve had discussions with developers about how and why software bugs get introduced into software.

  Most of the time, it’s because humans write the code, and then we humans use the code, often doing things that the software developer just didn’t think we’d do. But then there are those bonehead decisions that developers have made along the way — because someone decided it was faster or easier to do something that later proved to be a problem, rather than taking the time to do it right in the first place.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.06.0, 2025-02-10).

  On Security CISA, MFA, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, SecLists

• Understanding CVE

  Posted on January 27, 2025 at 02:21 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Vendors track issues using the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database.

  Maintenance of the database is handled by the MITRE Corporation under the sponsorship of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the US Department of Homeland Security. It has been operating since 1999. In 2021, MITRE launched a new website with the domain cve.org and with new features and capabilities.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.04.0, 2025-01-27).

  Patch Watch CISA, CVE, CVE-2025-21309, Documentation, Newsletters, Outlook, Outlook (classic), Outlook (new), Patch Lady Posts, Windows Mail

• You clicked on that phish?

  Posted on November 11, 2024 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It happens. You fell for it. You clicked on something you shouldn’t have. You followed a link. You entered your password on a site that wasn’t legitimate.

  In these instances, you didn’t suffer an intrusion to your computer. Instead, your login credentials were impacted. What should you do?

  First, don’t panic. In the case of many attacks these days, your operating system is still intact — not impacted in any way. The once standard reaction “I got hacked, so I’ll restore my computer from a clean backup or reinstall from scratch” probably isn’t necessary. In fact, it may be irrelevant to your response.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.46.0, 2024-11-11).

  On Security Adversary-in-the-middle, CISA, Credentials, Exchange, Microsoft Compliance Portal, Microsoft Purview portal, Multifactor Authentication, Newsletters, Passwords, Patch Lady Posts, phishing, Security, Trusted Devices, Two-factor authentication

• Security information for an end-of-life operating system is lacking

  Posted on July 8, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Lately, I’ve been working on painting the trim on my house.

  We have old-fashioned caulked windows. To make sure that the caulk doesn’t crack with the weather, maintenance is required. That means painting.

  I like doing it because it gets me off the computer and thinking of other things. Painting the house is great for appearances and — more importantly — protects it from weather and other damage.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.28.0, 2024-07-08).

  On Security 0patch, CISA, Clickbait, CVE-2024-27867, CVE-2024-30078, Headlines, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Security, Windows 10, Windows 11