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How Long is Too Long to Update?

Posted by Cliff on from the tick-tock-tick-tick dept.

StWaldo asks: "I'm sure everyone knows the story about the life expectancy of an fresh, un-updated PC, once it's connected to the internet. What about a PC which just hasn't been updated in a while? I've been deployed in Iraq for the last 9 months, and haven't been able to hook up my laptop to the internet to get updates (I do HAVE access, just can't hook up a personal laptop, gov't only). Before I deployed, I would update my software (system, anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, etc) regularly, but as I get closer to coming back to the States and my broadband connection, I'm beginning to wonder what the life expectancy of my PC will be. What's the lifecycle of a security exploit, hack, virus, etc - between discovery/release, propagation, and extinction (or a state approaching extinction)?"

4 of 415 comments (clear)

  1. Options by phalanx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    1) Get all the updates from a friend and burn them to a CD. Install updates before connecting to the internet.
    2) Connect to the internet behind a hardware firewall/NAT device. Then update everything.
    I would recommend doing both.

  2. How does this look? by atari2600 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
    OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
    OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
    OS Configuration: Standalone Workstation
    OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free
    Original Install Date: 9/27/2004, 12:49:15 PM
    System Up Time: 184 Days, 4 Hours, 3 Minutes, 16 Seconds


    The only time i had to bring it down was to replace hardware (i am behind a corporate firewall, the XP firewall is active) and i don't care about patches. No, i am not trolling - windows machines enjoy decent uptimes too. Let me know if anyone wants too look at a screenshot.

  3. Re:Paranoia? by djmurdoch · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My wireless router logged connection attempts at a rate of around one every 10 seconds when I was on a DSL line. I'm on cable now, and get fewer attempts - just every couple of minutes.

    Not all of those attempts are trying to break in to Windows vulnerabilities, a lot were looking for other kinds of holes, or were looking for already-infected machines. But the attempt I see logged from one minute ago was attempting to get into the Windows RPC service, which an unpatched machine might have left open.

    So I don't really think it's paranoia, and I do like being the only machine behind my router.

  4. Re:Lifetimes... by voxel · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My brother was a marine, he disagreed with the war, so what did he do? He left.

    --
    Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes