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Early Warning For Microsoft Premium Customers

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the those-lucky-dudes dept.

techmuse writes "According to internetnews.com, Microsoft is giving its premium customers early warning about vulnerabilities and patches. Those of us who aren't lucky enough to have such a relationship with Microsoft may find ourselves at greater risk than premium customers as a result."

12 of 454 comments (clear)

  1. Early Warning For Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Kindof like the paid customers using slashdot who get a chance to read the clicky links before it dies.

    1. Re:Early Warning For Slashdot by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 5, Informative

      If you actually read the article, you would know that they aren't actually offering patches early to their premium customers, they are only letting them know that patches are on the way. Everyone in the world gets the patches at the same time. Premium customers are at the same risk as we are. The reason for the "heads up" is so that IT managers can get ready for the huge task of updating every machine they manage. Individuals have only their own computer, or at most a handful of others. These patches are usually expected anyway. And you can find a "heads up" of your own just by reading tech news sites online.
      -d

      --
      "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    2. Re:Early Warning For Slashdot by jazman_777 · · Score: 5, Funny
      To continue the vehicle manufacturer analogy...

      Slashdot. News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters. Failed Car Analogies.

      --
      Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
  2. Change one sentence in the summary... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would re-write one sentence in the summary as:
    "Those of us who aren't lucky enough to have such a relationship with Microsoft may find ourselves at greater risk FROM premium customers as a result."
    (changed "than" to "FROM")

  3. except... by Ignignot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bugtraq is almost always ahead of microsoft where it comes to vulnerabilities in their software. Why in the world would I pay Microsoft to tell me what might be wrong tomorrow when bugtraq will tell me what's wrong today? Does anyone have an experience where MS came out with vulnerabilities first?

    --
    I submitted this story last night, and it didn't get posted.
  4. even better yet... by Garabito · · Score: 5, Funny

    Those of us who are lucky enough to have no relationship with Microsoft may find ourselves at even lower risk than premium customers

  5. Re:so how do it get this status by wideBlueSkies · · Score: 5, Insightful

    >>Security through $$$

    You mean "a false sense of security through $$$", right?

    wbs.

    --
    Huh?
  6. My MS Rep woke me up in the middle of the night by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No lie. Can't remember for which patch. It was right after they got burned on one of the many virus outbreaks.

    At first I thought, cool, they are really taking this seriously. But then, I thought, what does he really think I'm going to do? go into the office and patch 1000 machines before morning?

    Since then, we've just been getting these 'pre-warnings' via email. Which of course are marked as confidential.

    For the record, we are an enterprise customer.

  7. As a Premium Customer Who Sees The Advance Notice by Rust+Martialis · · Score: 5, Informative
    Look, I know you all hate MS for being evil and all that, but sorry, the 'advance warning' is basically nothing.

    All you get is an email from MS saying 'oh, next Tuesday we're going to release X patches, with Y rated critical, and Z rated serious'.

    There are ZERO details on what the patch is going to fix, personally, I consider the advance notice almost useless except to tell you you need to have resources ready to roll out critical patches.

    You get *no* details, *no* access to patches, and I have several emails from MS Security people who always include ' sorry, I can't give you any details about Tuesday's patch'.

    Please, hate MS all you want, but at least hate them for a reason, not the typical /. drooling paranoia I see here.

    --R.

  8. If only I was a slashdot subscriber... by DoubleDownOnEleven · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Then I could have commented on this article earlier on, and got a better score!

    That's not fair, slashdot should give their information out freely to everyone...

    Oh wait, they do, they just treat their paying customers a little better...

    I really don't see this as much of an issue. The "premier" customers don't get the patches any sooner. They get an advance heads-up on what the patches will contain. Why will this affect anybody?

    According to the article: Microsoft insisted the information provided in the notice was "very basic in nature" and intended only to provide general guidelines concerning the maximum number of bulletins that may be released, the anticipated severity ratings, and an overview of products that may be affected.

  9. In other news... by jrod2027 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...The National Weather Service has announced it will offer early warnings for natural
    disasters such as tornadoes and earthquakes to subscribers of its new "Stay Alive Platinum" service.

  10. Microsoft early warning service for $5 per user by KWTm · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am offering a low-cost service to users of Microsoft products. For a mere $5, you will receive a notice that says:

    WARNING -- Your product is riddled with security holes!

    There, now people can be warned.

    Hurry, send in your money now! Otherwise you won't receive notice that Microsoft products are vulnerable!

    --
    404555974007725459910684486621289147856453481154 in hex is "You sank my Battleship?"
    [GPG key in journal]