Regularly updating the applications, operating system (OS), and drivers on your desktop and server systems is an essential part of being a system administrator. If you have ever been in the position of having to administer a large group of desktop and server systems, you know that patch management is one of the most tedious and frustrating pieces to the security puzzle. It is also one of the most important and, unfortunately, overlooked pieces.

We need to be diligent in patching the systems we manage throughout our organization, but individual users also need to make sure they are keeping their home systems up-to-date and secure. Although it seems like we ve got all the assets we need to worry about within the walls of our office, those home systems are an important aspect of organizational security, the security of individuals personal information, and the security of the Internet in general. If those systems are left open to be compromised, a great deal of personal data is at risk. Also, those in charge of the security of an enterprise risk being attacked by home systems. We give the attacker a valuable starting point toward breaking into our work environment if we leave our PC systems at risk. How many of us have a laptop that we bring home from work and plug directly into our home network, and then link back to our work network with a virtual private network (VPN)? If the system at home is compromised, and an...