Security news8 April 2008
Microsoft tells Windows users to patch now or face potential hacker attack Vulnerabilities discovered, including critical flaws in Microsoft Windows and MS Office
Microsoft has rated five of the patches as 'critical'.
Experts at Sophos have advised businesses to take action to defend their Windows computers after Microsoft issued a warning of critical security flaws in its software.
As part of its monthly "Patch Tuesday" schedule Microsoft has issued a number of bulletins about security vulnerabilities in its software. The list of affected software includes versions of the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.
"Everyone responsible for the security of data on Windows computers needs to sit up and listen when Microsoft issues a security warning about its software," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "The rise in financially-motivated hacking has made it more important than ever to ensure that your business is properly defended with the latest patches."
Home users of Microsoft Windows can visit update.microsoft.com to have their systems scanned for Microsoft security vulnerabilities.
Sophos suggests 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.
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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.
