14 DAY TRIAL // The image on the left illustrates a Microsoft test matrix for a single security update targeting Windows.
For this specific refresh, the Redmond company had to execute 500 different product tests for the various Windows platform versions still supported.
“Factor in common Microsoft and third-party applications, and the test matrix expands dramatically,” the software giant stated.
“Microsoft typically includes up to 3,000 of the most commonly deployed applications in these test matrices to help minimize disruption to customers.”
A unique chance to get a behind the curtains view on how the software giant is engineering security updates for the billions of systems worldwide running its products is now available.
Tim Rains, group product manager, Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft is featured in a number of videos designed to explain Microsoft’s patch cooking process.
Have you ever wondered why the baking time for certain updates from the Redmond company is longer than others? Have you ever had questions related to the testing that goes on at Microsoft? About the quality standards for security udpates?
Well, you can now head over to the Vulnerability Management page on MSRC in order to get answers related to how Microsoft protects users of its software.
Rains put together an introductory video which is available here. However, an entire in-depth video series is now available to customers that want to get an idea of the Microsoft processes that lead to the creation of software updates.
“In this four-part series, Group Product Manager, Tim Rains, discusses the three pillars of Microsoft vulnerability management: producing high quality security updates, employing community based defense to leverage industry partners and better protect customers, and Microsoft’s comprehensive security response process to efficiently address security issues in Microsoft products,” a Microsoft spokesperson told me via email.
Here are links to videos:
- The Microsoft approach to managing software vulnerabilities.
- How Microsoft produces quality security updates for over a billion systems.
- Extensive application testing processes used to produce security updates.
- Community based defense with MSRC industry leading security response process.