Automating windows security: building a security CD

The last two years have seen more virus and spyware activity on Windows computers than the preceding fifteen years. Blaster and Welchia wreaked havoc in the fall of 2003 because most of us had never seen a computer be infected through simple connection to the Internet. While an individual computer support person has the knowledge to disinfect a computer, the automation of that process is critical to handling thousands of users with limited support staff. Our CD method allows us to update, patch, and scan machines that are no longer able to connect to the network.This paper and presentation will focus on the methods the University Of Oregon (UO) has used successfully to automate patches, updates, and scanning which leverage conventional free and site-licensed tools.