Have a Dell laptop or computer? This vulnerability is one to watch out for.

Have a Dell laptop or computer? This vulnerability is one to watch out for.

Vulnerabilities that can broadly attack major systems or specific retailers are especially problematic. Many of these vulnerabilities are quietly patched before you’re even aware there was a problem but sometimes things can fly under the radar for a while.

Such is the case in an affected Dell driver that has been pushed out to machines for the last 12 years. It was recently discovered this driver can allow bad actors to possibly gain more access to the affected Dell systems. It’s estimated hundreds of millions of Dell computers, laptops and tablets could have the affected driver and be at risk.

While it’s not considered critical at the moment because the affected computers would already have to be compromised in some way for it to be used, it’s still problematic because it could make removing malware or other system infections more difficult. These drivers would potentially allow them unrestricted to the affected machines in the event the user is hacked.Tech News #9

There are currently no recorded cases of this exploit being used, however now that it’s been made public that may change. Researchers have held back the details of the exploit to allow users time to patch, and Dell has issued a security advisory regarding the driver. However, they have not as of writing revoked the affected driver.

This is another reminder as to the importance of maintaining updates on your machines. Even with security measures in place, no system is perfect. Vulnerabilities can be discovered years later with varying levels of severity. By maintaining patching, you won’t be caught off guard or risk having your machines exploited by a vulnerability.

Here are 5 patching best practices:

  1. Automate. If you can, automate the process. Schedule your patches to happen at a time you won’t be busy working on your computer.
  2. Plan your approach. If you’re managing patching for your business, you want to plan how you’ll approach patching company wide. It may be prudent to patch overnight or patch in waves if your business is open extended hours.
  3. Test patches. Test patches on a single machine before rolling them out company wide, sometimes patches can create problems that might necessitate a rollback and that might hinder your business if everyone in the office is down.
  4. Maintain patch levels. The last thing you want to do is fall seriously behind on patches. Patching will be a lengthy process as you try and catch up, and your machines may be left vulnerable in the interim.
  5. Get Help If You Need It. Patching your home machines is a fairly straight forward process usually but patching from a business perspective can have many intricacies beyond just “apply patches”. When in doubt, leave it up to the professionals.

If you need help with patching or the myriad of other items that keep your office machines in tip top shape and safe from malware, Valley Techlogic is here for your business. You can schedule a free consultation here.

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This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/valleytechlogic.