A Stitch In Time Saves Net; Network Security Issue; Software patches often released to fix flaws, but how can firms keep up?(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Publication: Investor's Business Daily

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2005 Investor's Business Daily, Inc.

Byline: DONNA HOWELL

Every month it's patch, patch, patch.

Tech administrators face a swelling tide of flaws found in popular software. To cope with the security risks these flaws bring, companies install software patches and try other means to protect systems they use. But those can fail.

"The whole patching thing is tough," said Steve Manzuik, a product manager at eEye Digital Security, a privately held maker of software to manage vulnerabilities. "Most large enterprises have a real issue getting patches installed quickly, if at all."

Patches can cause problems with a company's custom applications. Firms need to test patches before applying them, Manzuik says. And tech managers might not be aware of an available patch, especially if it's for some obscure bit of software.

Failure to install patches can be risky. A study by security software maker Symantec found that more than 1,800...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.