Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 3: Patch carefully

  Posted on August 22, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.34.1 • 2023-08-22

  

  By Susan Bradley

  August can be a weird month where patching is concerned.

  I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level, but with caution. I usually hope to give time near the end of the month for patches to be applied, by lowering the level to 4 and sometimes 5. This time, I’m wishy-washy. Caution is the order of the day, so I’m lowering the level to just 3.

  In my house, August represents a tradition — things occur that make me think technology wants to take a vacation, just like the rest of us.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.34.1, 2023-08-22).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, CVE-2022-40982, CVE-2023-32019, Exchange Server, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 3, Patch Lady Posts, USB Security Key, Windows Update

• Wrapping up July’s updates

  Posted on August 7, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  We’re at the dividing line. We are working on getting July’s updates installed and reviewing whether we have Windows 10 22H2 installed. Meanwhile, that window of opportunity for installing updates is closing soon.

  But that’s just the Windows side of the patching world. On the Apple side, we’ve had to deal with zero-day patches this month. Not to be left out, Android is doing last-minute beta testing on Android 14 beta 4.1.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.32.0, 2023-08-07).

  Patch Watch Apple, Cloud services, CVE-2023-32019, InControl, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, WSUS, WuMgr, Zero Day

• MS-DEFCON 2: Batten down the hatches for August

  Posted on August 3, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.31.1 • 2023-08-03

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I’ve been tracking some side effects that Microsoft has yet to acknowledge.

  With Patch Tuesday just around the corner, it’s a good idea to put your favorite deferral solution in place. Some issues I’ve been following for several months are finally fixed in the August security updates, but we’re learning about this only through hints in preview releases.

  Set your phasers on stun: I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.31.1, 2023-08-03).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Browser Scams, CVE-2023-20593, CVE-2023-32019, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Netlogon, Windows 11, Windows 11 22H2

• Zero day in the cloud

  Posted on July 24, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  If you are a consumer, home user, small-business user, or even a medium-sized business user, today’s column may anger you — or at least cause you to mutter, “I told you so.”

  For those of you who work in large companies and government entities, your size allows you to complain more loudly than most. I hope you will, because the event I’m about to discuss, plus all our past and present complaints, should make all cloud vendors, especially Microsoft, take note.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.30.0, 2023-07-24).

  On Security Cloud, CVE-2023-32019, Email, Email security, Microsoft, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts