Intel’s Vulnerability – What You Need to Know
An announcement from Intel regarding a design flaw and potential vulnerability has sent shockwaves throughout the business world. This flaw is relative to nearly anyone using a computer. Yes, that’s right – we said ‘anyone.’ It impacts most operating systems (Linux, Mac OS, Windows), but for the purposes of this notice, we are focused on the Microsoft platform.
What is the Intel vulnerability and how can it affect me?
As stated in a recent article by Tech Crunch: “Because of a design flaw, user programs with low privileges can read protected kernel memory. If an attacker or an intelligence agency can find a way to install a normal program on your computer, they could then be able to read passwords stored in the kernel memory, private encryption keys, files cached from the hard drive and more.”
Will there be any negative impact from the Microsoft patch?
Direct Microsoft communications to SkyTerra Technologies have stated there will be no impact. However, there are some reports of slow down. We advise taking note of significant performance impact and reporting this to your internal system administrators and/or contact SkyTerra to determine if adjustments can be made to improve performance where possible.
How can I ensure my organization is protected?
At the time of this article’s posting, patches for Server 2016, Server 2008R2 SP1, Server 2012R2, Windows 7, 8 and 10 are now released. For your reference, here is a resource link to Microsoft’s catalog of patches for the KB4056892 update. We may sound a bit like a broken record, but to avoid issues, you need to run provided patches. Don’t skip or ignore them – if you do, you’re opening yourself up to all sorts of potential security risks. Trust us, you don’t want to be the person held responsible for a crisis when you could have mitigated it by running a simple patch.
Help! We’re not sure what to do!
If you find yourself overwhelmed with how to address patching, don’t fret. We are here to make sure your business and technology are as efficient and protected as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
