Catchy nicknames prompt more patching of vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities with catchy nicknames get more attention from media, customers, and vendors and so get patched more thoroughly than similar vulnerabilities without clever names.

According to a report released Tuesday by security researcher Secunia ApS, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, names such as Heartbleed, Shellshock and Poodle make it easier for users to learn about vulnerabilities and to ask their vendors for patches.

More than 100 vendors issued patches for 600 products within 40 days of the Heartbleed news.

“When Heartbleed hit us there was a lot of media attention, there was a logo, and everyone was going crazy,” said Kasper Lindgaard, Secunia’s director of research and security. “It was pretty heavy.”

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here