CHAPTER 7: Keep Your Systems Secure with System Updates 179 7 Automate Operating System Patching with Automatic Updates In addition to the on-demand Windows Update site, Microsoft provides the Automatic Update service to help you keep your system up-to-date. This service uses your Internet connection to check for new security updates. When it finds one, it takes one of three actions (depending on how you have configured it): ■ Notify you that an update exists, but do not download it ■ Download the update and notify you that it is available to install ■ Download and install the update on a schedule that you specify 6. After the scan, you will be presented with a list of updates you can download and install on your system. Choose the updates you wish to install and click Install. The updates will be installed. Restart your system if requested and you are finished. Ill 7-7 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 180 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking How Automatic Updates Work Automatic Updates uses a service called Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) to connect to servers at Microsoft to check for and download updates. BITS monitors your use of the Internet connection on your computer and transfers data only when your connection is idle. This use of idle time ensures you do not see any degradation of performance while updates are being downloaded. After updates are downloaded, the installation routine can be configured to apply the updates automatically at a predetermined time. This time can be set to ensure updates are applied when you will not be at your system. If a restart is required, the Automatic Updates service will restart your computer. Configuring Automatic Updates Automatic Updates is configured using the System Properties dialog box, found either by opening the System icon on the Control Panel or by clicking the System icon in Security Center. Ill 7-8 Notice the default setting specifies automatic installation of updates. This configuration setting was enabled in Service Pack 2. Prior to Service Pack 2, Automatic Updates had to be enabled before it could protect your system. I recommend you leave the settings as-is for now. This is the configuration chosen by Microsoft to provide the best protection settings by default. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 7: Keep Your Systems Secure with System Updates 181 7 Pundits used to recommend varying the installation times for Automatic Updates to balance the load on Microsoft’s servers. Before you change the installation time, consider that this is only the time the update will be applied. The download happens whenever you have idle time on your Internet connection. If you need to change the setting, choose a time that your system will be powered on but not in use. Automatic Updates Settings The options for installation of updates give you the opportunity to customize it to suit your needs. We will describe each one and give an example of where it might be used. Automatic (Recommended) This setting is recommended by Microsoft because it ensures updates will be downloaded and installed without user intervention. This is especially important for those who are not aware their systems need protection. In the past, systems were compromised simply because their owners did not know security was an issue. Now these systems are protected by default, and often without the user’s knowledge. This setting is also a good basic setting for most configurations. When an update is available, you will receive notification via a small pop-up message from the Automatic Updates service. You may choose to install the update immediately or wait for the automatic installation process to perform the installation. Service Pack 2 made another change to updates that causes them to be applied any time the system is shut down. Even if you choose to automatically install updates, they will be applied any time the system is shut down regardless of schedule. This ensures they will not be missed if the system is powered off at the time they were to be installed. Download Updates for Me… This setting will still download the update and notify you when it is available, but it will not automatically perform the installation. Some prefer this option because it allows them to personally ensure the updates are applied. Others prefer it because they can ensure updates happen while their systems are powered on. The change brought about by Service Pack 2 to install updates any time a system is shut down eliminates the need for this, but the setting remains for those who prefer it. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Notify Me… This option will look for updates and notify you when they are available. This is for those who may be on such a slow connection that they would rather wait until they get to the home office before they start the download. Turn off Automatic Updates Please don’t. Some experienced users leave updates off, but it requires a good deal of discipline to keep up with patching manually. At least getting notification of the availability of a patch is better than letting your guard down once and getting “wormed.” 182 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Verify Your Automatic Updates Are Being Applied When your system automatically installs updates, it can be like the proverbial tree falling in the forest. How do you know they are applied when you are not there to witness it? When Automatic Updates receives an update, it logs the receipt in the System Log. You can view this event by opening Event Viewer. Right-click My Computer and click Manage. You will see the Computer Management console. Expand the Event Viewer and select System. Ill 7-9 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 7: Keep Your Systems Secure with System Updates 183 7 Maintain Microsoft Applications with Updates In addition to updates to the Windows XP operating system, Microsoft provides updates to the applications they produce. These updates can be for performance issues with the applications, security vulnerabilities in the application, or feature sets added to the application after its initial release. In this section we will show you where to look for updates for your Microsoft applications. Locate and Download Updates for Microsoft Applications For those applications bundled into Windows, you will receive updates via Windows update and Automatic updates. For any other applications, you can find updates at the Microsoft Downloads site located at www.microsoft.com/downloads. This web site maintains a complete list of all Microsoft applications and lets you search for updates for them. Look for events titled “NtServicePack.” The details of the event will give details about which update has been applied. Ill 7-10 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 184 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Ill 7-11 You can select the product you want to download updates for and get a list of all security, performance, and feature updates available for that product. The list can be sorted by popularity, title, or date of release. Ill 7-12 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 7: Keep Your Systems Secure with System Updates 185 7 When you select a patch, you will be presented with a screen detailing what the patch is intended to fix and providing installation instructions for installing the patch. Ill 7-13 After clicking the Download button, you will begin downloading the patch. Follow the instructions to complete the installation. Use Internet Explorer to Download Office Updates The Microsoft Office application suite consists of many different Microsoft applications bundled into a comprehensive suite for interoperability and—let’s face it—marketing. Keeping these applications patched would be a Herculean task if there weren’t some way to help automate the process. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Enter Office Update. Ill 7-14 In the same way Windows Update finds and installs patches for Windows XP and its bundled applications, Office Update finds and installs patches for the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Visitors to http://officeupdate.microsoft.com will be presented with an ActiveX application very similar to the one used at Windows Update. Using the application, they will scan their computer for installed updates and download those they do not have. 186 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Use Office Updates to Install Microsoft Office Updates The process of installing Office Updates is very similar to that of installing Windows Updates. The Office Update application is an ActiveX control that must be approved for installation just as Windows Update must be. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 7: Keep Your Systems Secure with System Updates 187 7 Ill 7-15 Ill 7-16 After the ActiveX control loads, it begins scanning your Office Applications for necessary updates. Ill 7-17 After determining which updates are needed, the application displays a list that you can choose from. A download size and an estimated download time are given. You may choose not to install all updates at once. If you unselect some, they will appear next time you use Office Update. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 188 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Ill 7-18 Office Updates then launches the Office Update Installation Wizard. This presents you with an End User License Agreement (EULA). Ill 7-19 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. [...]... link to the vendor’s fix from there Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 194 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Apply Security Updates for Non-Microsoft Software Security fixes and updates take on a number of forms Sometimes it is an executable program At other times, it will be a configuration change or a single file to download and copy to a... the field down to one or two prospects If you are still working with a long list, try Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 8 204 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking to avoid this step until you are fairly sure about one or at the most two solutions Installing and uninstalling antivirus suites runs the risk of introducing instabilities into your... vendors and even receive some excellent offers for free trial versions Use the Recommendations button to open the Recommendation dialog box Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 206 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Ill 8-2 Clicking the How? hyperlink in the Recommendation dialog box will launch a Microsoft web page listing antivirus vendors... Installation Whether downloaded from the Symantec web site or installed from CD-ROM, installation of Norton Internet Security follows a similar path The principle difference is that the downloaded version will have to be unpacked first Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 8 210 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Unpacking the Downloaded Installation... disc at this point to have a backup copy in case you ever need to reinstall the application Other suites may unzip their files in this way, may offer a backup CD, or may allow extended periods (up to a year) for downloading the installation files for future installations Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 212 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking... listing on the CVE list Ill 7-23 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 7 192 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Listed vulnerabilities include a list of references to additional information on the vulnerability Among these references you will usually find information on how to fix the vulnerability Security Focus and the Bugtraq Mailing List Security... the update Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark Chapter 8 Set Up an Effective Antivirus Solution PleaseCopyright © 2004 by McGraw-Hill Companies www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark purchase PDF Split-Merge on Click here for terms of use 196 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking How to ■ Distinguish between virus, worm, and Trojan horse attributes... services You might check with them to find out rates and coverage These services can offer an important second set of eyes looking at your e-mail Antivirus vendors vary in their speed of providing detection for the latest viruses, and having two sets (especially Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 8 208 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking FIGURE... behavior is detected, an alert is sent to the user that an unknown virus may have been detected Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 8 200 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Symantec’s Norton Bloodhound and McAfee ActiveShield are two brand-name examples of heuristic scanning technologies incorporated into antivirus solutions Other manufacturers,... have downloaded the installation files, you may have to extract them to a folder on your system This procedure usually progresses quickly and is fairly straightforward 1 Executing the downloaded file is usually enough to begin the unpack process You may receive a confirmation dialog similar to the following to allow you to choose a folder to unpack the installation files into: Ill 8-4 2 Windows XP Service . on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 180 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking How Automatic Updates Work Automatic Updates uses. www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 184 How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking Ill 7-11 You can select the product you want to download updates