13 Jul 2005
Microsoft issues three new critical security patches, Sophos urges computer users to apply updates
|
| Microsoft has issued three critical security
updates. |
Microsoft has issued three important security updates yesterday.
Rated as "critical" - Microsoft's highest level of severity - the
security vulnerabilities allow remote code execution, meaning that
an attacker can achieve complete control of the affected PC.
The software giant lists the affected software as Office,
Windows, JView Profiler and Internet Explorer.
"Microsoft customers would be wise to apply the patches as soon
as possible," said Carole Theriault, security
consultant for Sophos. "We are seeing a growing number of threats
designed either to use system resources to send out spam or to
steal sensitive information kept on the system. Failing to patch
against such vulnerabilities is comparable to leaving the door wide
open to unwanted guests."
Home users of Microsoft Windows can visit windowsupdate.microsoft.com to have their systems
scanned for critical Microsoft security vulnerabilities.
Sophos recommends that every IT manager responsible for security
should consider subscribing to vulnerability mailing lists such as
that operated by Microsoft at www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.mspx.
Sophos continues to recommend companies protect their desktops
and servers with automatically updated
anti-virus protection.
About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.