The Adventures of AlisterComputeron

Windows updates.  As an IT administrator you hate doing them: waiting for the maintenance window, reboot, and the inevitable user who’s using the system when you apply an update.

I had gotten a little lax on doing my updates, both for servers and for the desktops.  Then my wife’s company, which is a publicly traded on Nasdaq, got infected with the Downadup virus, you know, the one that’s gotten some news lately.

If you don’t know, the Downadup virus infects computers by exploiting a vulnerability in Windows.  No surprise there.  However, Microsoft issued a patch for this flaw back in October.  So all these computers getting infected could have avoided their fate had IT admins just applied the stupid patches.

Fortunately for me, I had applied some patches since October, despite my laziness complacency, and our computers were protected from the recent outbreak.  I got a good chuckle, however, listening to the stories my wife told about the mess her IT department had on its hands.

So, Windows patches are pain, but not nearly the pain that having to disinfect a bunch computers is.  Apply your updates.