Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Top Technology Companies Leaving Over 20% of Vulnerabilities Unpatched
Monday, August 30, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
One of the most important characteristics of any technology
provider is quality protection, including secure data preservation
and defense against the most malicious content out there. We find some attempts ourselves of cybercriminals
attempting to infect personal devices with a virus. While knowledge
can save your small business from a technological nightmare, we
depend on the product creators to update systems with the best
available protection.
According to an article from Networkworld.com, IBM conducted a
study that showed an average of 55% of software vulnerabilities
went unpatched by vendors after being disclosed. This was a touch
up from 52% the year before. Here is a list of the top 5 vendors
with unpatched vulnerabilities based on disclosed holes (the number
indicates the percentage of known vulnerabilities left
unpatched):
1. Sun - 24%
2. Microsoft - 23.2%
3. Mozilla - 21.3%
4. Apple - 12.9%
5. IBM - 10.3%
Other notables include 8.6% for Google and only 2.9% for Adobe,
a company whose Flash and Reader applications receive plenty of
attention in the media in regards to security concerns. Here are
some more important points from the study:
- As of June, spam is at an all time high - Look for an increase
in phishing attacks over the next couple of months.
- Number of vulnerabilities increased from 12,211 to 16,607 for
first half of 2009 and first half of 2010, respectively.
- For 2009, Microsoft led the way for unpatched vulnerabilities
at 15.8%. Only halfway through 2010, and three companies are easily
eclipsing that number (Sun, Mozilla, and Microsoft again).
- More than half of all vulnerabilities are attributed to web
applications vulnerabilities
With the rise in vulnerabilities and increasing frequency of
exploits, large vendors are having difficulties keeping up on the
security front. The upward trend in unpatched vulnerabilities is
frightening for small businesses as some have found comfort and
reliability in cloud computing. Cybersecurity has become a major
concern for companies of all sizes - make sure to update your
computers with the latest patches and demand the best protection
from cybercriminals.
Until next time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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