Patches, PowerShell and Backups

WannaCry? No need to by following these tips.

Tom Walat at TechTarget wrote a helpful article on the vulnerabilities of Windows to ransomware. http://searchwindowsserver.techtarget.com/blog/The-Windows-Server-Notebook/Latest-Windows-ransomware-attack-exposes-hard-truths/

Citing examples from England’s healthcare systems which experienced problems with their telephone switchboards, email, and hospital IT systems, Walat lays out a few recommendations. These include:  

• Locking systems down by following the advice of reputable security blogs
• Applying security updates and patches without delay

Is PowerShell the answer?

Walat also recommended using “PowerShell for a rapid response”, noting that a “small PowerShell script could pull hundreds — or thousands — of computer names out of Active Directory and query them to quickly check whether they contain security updates related to the MS17-010 security bulletin.” In the next sentence, the author acknowledges “There’s a bit of a learning curve with PowerShell.”

So how can Orca help?

Some teams are more proficient at PowerShell scripting than others, especially in the heat of a rapid response moment. With its built-in integrations to Windows, IIS, SQL Server and MSMQ,  Orca centrally and securely deploys pre-validated PowerShell-based changes without requiring that typical PowerShell learning curve or exposing the org to even more damage from a scripting error.

Orca incorporates IIS, MS SQL Server, MSMQ and SharePoint PowerShell scripts for config management & app release. Learn more here

Orca’s built-in PowerShell scripts:

• Automatically determine existing configuration settings
• Automatically compare configurations at different points in time, against a gold standard or both
• Automatically detect configuration drift and compliance violations. Automatically detect schema changes. 
• Automatically remediate or rollback configurations errors
• Automatically deploy planned configuration and schema changes 
• Automatically backup and restore configurations (supporting another Walat recommendation for “bulletproof backups.”)
• Automate application release in Windows, Linux and Unix environments

To learn more about centrally and securely automating your Windows, IIS, SQL Server environment, request a custom demo walkthrough here.