Automate Security Updates - Technical Description

In line with the cooperative efforts between CNS and AUB users to safe guard AUB computers from viruses and other security incidents, and as such incidents have become increasingly repetitive and more serious in terms of the disruption they might cause in our working computing environment, the Computing and Networking Services is introducing a new strategy to mitigate such threats. The new strategy is based on automating security alerts and easing out security updates at the AUB user computer desk.

The strategy is composed of multiple consecutive initiatives, with focused objectives to:

1. Mitigate security risks at the AUB user computer desk by taking proactive scalable measures to close identified security holes.
2. Reduce AUBnet user intervention in keeping up with updates, and ease out his interaction with their installation.
3. Reduce the number of computing problems at the user desk that are the result of well known and fixed bugs.

One initiative applies to Windows 2000 and Windows XP based computers only, which constitute the vast majority of the computing machines running at AUBnet. The initiative is based on special program written by CNS that would leverage the built-in "Windows Automatic Update Service" and "McAfee Antivirus Software" and adapt them to AUBnet security policies.

The program installation needs to be done by the computer administrator only once using very simple steps. After program successful installation, your computer will automatically check AUB security servers on a daily basis for new updates, and if any are found, it will automatically download and install them at prescheduled times.

Depending on the new updates type, the computer may request the user to initiate a restart for the changes to take effect (read instructions on how to interact with update messages). The user is urged here to respond fast to this restart request.

CNS, and based on the criticality and urgency of some alerts, might be sending out e-mail messages aiming at expediting the user response to selected alerts, and detailing alert specific actions.

Other initiatives are being applied at different network layers, and more automation is still underway.

Thank you for your kind cooperative efforts in keeping AUBnet a safer and better computing environment.