Improving Web Application Security: Threats and - CGISecurity

752 Improving Web Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures●HotFix & Security Bulletin Search. MBSA includes the Microsoft Knowledge Basearticle ID of the corresponding article for a given security bulletin. You can use thearticle ID at the HotFix and Security Bulletin Search site to reach the matchingsecurity bulletin. The search page is located at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/current.asp. The bulletin contains thedetails to acquire the patch.TestingIf the results of your assessment determine that a patch must be installed, you shouldtest that patch against your system to ensure that no breaking changes are introducedor, if a breaking change is expected, how to work around the change.Methods for Testing Security PatchesMethods used to test the installation of security patches against your systems include:●●Testing security patches against a test mirror of your live server configurationand scenario. This method allows you to both test the installation offline, withoutdisrupting service, and the freedom to test workarounds if a breaking change isintroduced, again without disrupting service.Testing the patch on a few select production systems prior to fully deployingthe update. If a test network that matches your live configuration is not available,this is the safest method to introduce the security patch. If this method isemployed, you must perform a backup prior to installing the update.Confirming the Installation of a PatchBefore deploying a patch to production servers, confirm that the tested patch hasmade the appropriate changes on the test servers. Each security bulletin includes theinformation you need to confirm that the patch has been installed. In each bulletin,the Additional information about this patch section contains the entry Verifyingpatch installation. It includes registry values, file versions, or similar configurationchanges that you can use to verify that the patch is installed.Uninstalling a Security PatchIf you need to uninstall a patch, use Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.If an uninstall routine is not an option for the patch and its installation introducesbreaking changes, you must restore your system from backup. Make sure that yourtesting process also covers the patch uninstall routine.The security bulletin lists the availability of an uninstall routine in the Additonalinformation about this patch section.