Microsoft's patch info 'blockade' pinches security staffs
Security experts yesterday were still frustrated about Microsoft's decision last month to halt advance warnings of each month's patch slate, with one calling it a "blockade" and another arguing that it makes it difficult for IT administrators to do their job.
"For the second straight month Microsoft is holding fast to their blockade of information," said Ross Barrett, senior manager of security engineering at Rapid7, in an email. "Microsoft called this an evolution, and I can certainly see why -- they are applying a squeeze to security teams that will eliminate the weak members of the herd."
On Jan. 8, Microsoft abruptly shuttered its Advanced Notification Service (ANS), which had posted alerts five days before the arrival of each month's Patch Tuesday collection of security updates. The warnings listed the number of updates and what products they would affect, and described the severity of the underlying vulnerabilities.
