Study: Unpatched PCs compromised in 20 minutes

[Gary Stoneburner <gary.stoneburner@nist.gov>]

re:
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5313402.html

"According to the researchers, an unpatched Windows PC connected to
the Internet will last for only about 20 minutes before it's compromised
by malware, on average. That figure is down from around 40 minutes, the
group's estimate in 2003.  The Internet Storm Center, which is part
of the SANS Institute, calculated the 20-minute "survival time"
by listening on vacant Internet Protocol addresses and timing the
frequency of reports received there."

"The drop from 40 minutes to 20 minutes is worrisome because it
means the average "survival time" is not long enough for a user
to download the very patches that would protect a PC from Internet
threats."

[Scott Conti, network operations manager for the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst]

"One of Conti's administrators tested the center's data recently by
placing two unpatched computers on the network. Both were compromised
within 20 minutes, he said.  The school is now checking the status
of computers before letting them connect to the Internet. If a machine
doesn't have the latest patches, it gets quarantined with limited network
access until the PC is back up to date.  "We are giving the
people the ability to remediate before connecting to the network,"
Conti said."



What is your plan for bringing new machines up to current patch level
BEFORE connection to the Internet??

Cheers,
Gary

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* Opinions expressed are not intended to reflect an official position
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* Gary Stoneburner
* Computer Security Division, National Institute of Standards & Technology
* 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930         
* Phone: 301-975-5394, FAX: 301-948-0279, Email: Stoneburner@nist.gov
* http://csrc.nist.gov/staff/stoneburner/gshome.html
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