back to article MS roll out exploit prediction with Patch Tuesday

Microsoft plans to debut impact predictions related to vulnerabilities with the next edition of its Patch Tuesday update cycle. The 11 bulletins due to arrive later on Tuesday (14 October) will contain "weather predictions" detailing factors such as whether exploit code is likely to appear, alongside the established rating …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    A better solution

    Step 1: Archive important information

    Step 2: Wipe drives

    Step 3: Install Linux based OS of choice.

    Step 4: Install apps

    Step 5: Restore data

    Step 6: Laugh at the frantic MS updates

    Step 7: Rejoice in the improved performance and stability

    Step 8: Laugh some more

    Step 9: Marvel at the increased flexibility and productivity your new system provides

    Step 10: Try to stop giggling

  2. aldude
    Flame

    @A better solution

    Not better for me - Installed Linux a while back and it's a complicated mess. Also, not sure how you get an improvement in stability, Win XP has never crashed in the many years that I've been using it (I use it every single day). Perhaps Linux is more robust against misuse by clueless fanbois?

    I for one am pleased that there will soon be 4 fewer critical vulns in XP!

  3. Quirkafleeg
    Coat

    Here's my prediction…

    Certainty.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @AC 10:58

    Step 11: Grow up, realise that Linux needs updates too.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Overheard in a Windows team meeting the other day

    ...oh, yes, patched on Tuesday, cracked by Thursday. Honestly, I don't know why we bother, can't we just buy them some Macs?

  6. Colin Millar
    Linux

    @A better solution

    Does that post come as a template with OpenOffice

  7. KarlTh

    Look...

    If we who use Windows in part or exclusively, just for the sake of argument, agree that Linux is best, we're complete fuckwits for using anything else, and we would instantly migrate except that we're too stupid to know how, would that be enough for you lot to shut the fuck up?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @AC 1214

    Hows about:

    Patched on Tuesday,

    Tested on Wednesday

    Fine on Thursday.

    Or are your Windows support just not very good? Only an idiot would rollout a patch without testing it first.

  9. Kanhef
    Paris Hilton

    Self-fulfilling prophecies

    Predicting exploit code may indicate that it's easy to abuse that vulnerability, leading to the creation of exploit code for it.

  10. Chris Pearson
    Gates Halo

    'A better solution

    I installed Ubuntu 2 weeks ago, which has crashed more in the odd hour or so here and there than my Windows machine in 18 months.

    Oh and I had to install just as many updates as a fresh Windows install as well....so much for point 6.

    (btw I run Ubuntu, OSX and XP so I'm no fanboi)

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ aldude

    You seem to have got away without succumbing to Linux fanboy Flame Attack Vector #7b: Those Who Say Linux Is Too Complicated Are Too Stupid To Use Linux And Deserve Their Windows

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    OS Justification

    I use linux at work - and see both the pros and cons almost every day, but come on ...

    Some people on here feel an compulsive need to reply to every single Patch Tuesday article with a Linux circle jerk. Are you so insecure about your choice of OS that you feel the need to point and gawk every time another OS has to patch? Last time I looked, all the major linux distros update packages quite often, too.

    Get a tissue, clean yourself off, and get back to work - since you have Linux, you should be so much more productive than everyone else, right?

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    For every thing else

    Bag of Popcorn: 2.50 on debit master card.

    Internet connection to view El Reg: 50.00 on debit master card.

    Pepsi while reading El Reg: 1.50 on debit master card.

    Watching wintards heads explode as anyone dare malign windoze or M$: Priceless.

  14. KarlTh

    @Iam Me

    Project much?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @KarlTH

    Not at all, I just enjoy the show which ensues when the windoze fanbois get their knickers in a knot :-).

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    usability, stability, adaptability... exploited

    O-FFS... come on .... If you (like me) have a computer with any version of windows on it, you are already being exploited. If you (like me) have got a computer with a linux distribution on it, you can't install Crysis on it... and if you (like me) like to "right click" then you don't buy into the apple playgroup. Ok - that about covers the bloody fanboiz. - flame away t*rds.

    Linux (Ubuntu in my limited case) - built by peer review, updates AFTER testing, customer support via massive forum: works fine, updates quietly in the background, continues to work fine. Browses great, asks sensible questions, provides realistic online security, free. BUT - no playtime unless you like soduko and winding up people on "el reg".

    Windoez (XPerversions 2 and 3 for me), on the other hand^H monitor - built by committee, released 2 years before testing is complete, customer support via chequebook: works fine, but updates intrude on any other software running, microsh4ft software conflicts with micro$hit software, asks stupid questions (often two or three times), provides superficial online security, phuking expensive... BUT - plays BF 2142, san Andreas, Grid, Cod4, F.E.A.R., Rainbow 6, ToCA3, Command&Conquor AND Crysis.

    Moral of this story - LEARN TO BUILD YOUR PC PROPERLY and take a course in "reading the bloody installation notes". I don't know.... apathetic bloody planet, I've got absolutely no sympathy.

  17. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Thoroughly trolled

    The trolls got in early on this one at look at the result.

  18. Blain Hamon
    Alert

    @Iam me

    Meh. It gets old after a decade or two. You grow up, realise that OS flame wars are a waste of your time, and nothing good ever comes from it.

    More so, you begin to realize that even if you don't use windows in the slightest, it's still important that it gets fixed. Think of all the spam and botnet traffic that reduces availible bandwidth upstream. Think of all the searchable data on you, stored on unknown servers, where a security hole could lead to identity theft.

    Schaudenfraude is much less sweet when it can affect you as well.

  19. KarlTh

    Except that

    No-one's knickers are in a knot, nor am I a "windoze fanboi". It's just getting a little predictable - any story about Windows, someone posts a totally unrealistic "just migrate to Linux your problems will be over" or similar bit of geeky mental masturbation.

    @AC - don't forget Flame 4x: "That May Have Been True In The Past But Recent Linux Distributions Aren't Like That", which frankly I now rank along with the frequent Creationist claims that evolutionary theory is about to be disproven any day now.

    Oh dear. Compare Linux fanbois to creationists. Now the flames really will come in. Tee hee.

  20. John
    Boffin

    PATCHy.... to say the least

    Ahhh. You gotta love them patches. I got patched up yesterday (along with the rest of the world, I imagine). Windows Update notifcation said the usual click here to download updates. This went quite nicely, but after a few minutes it was still stuck on "0% downloaded". I switched the computer off and tried WU from the start menu, This said it would take about 15 minutes. So I clicked Download. After downloading the 1st program it then ground to a halt. Cutting a long story short the whole affair took 3 1/2 hours and approximately 6 ot 7 restarts as WUn also tried to download the updates itself (this was a bit like War Games, as I couldn't stop it). At one time both WU's were downloading at the same time, and both wanted me to restart. Anyway, I eventually got patched up, but it wasn't as easy as it was on previous attempts.

    Microsoft is a global organisation, so why can't it stick some servers in Fiji or in the 24 timezones, so when the world wakes up it can access the servers or it can get it's patches off a local server instead of crashing the network by having everyone downloading of the same servers at the same time, or am I being naive?

    "No system is totally secure..." David (Matthew Broderick) Lightman War Games 1983.

  21. Paul
    Gates Horns

    the dreaded non-disclosure

    "The Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP),/~/ will operate under non-disclosure agreements."

    Ooh! I bet the hackers are shaking in thier boots at that!

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