Posted 12/08/09 at 08:58:10 PM by Ryan Whitwam

If you’re a Windows user and you haven’t done your updates for this patch Tuesday, put it on your to-do list. The Redmond software giant has pushed out updates that patch several major security holes in Internet Explorer, one of which already has a code exploit in the wild. The fixes address problems that could allow remote attackers to gain control of a system running previously installed malware found on the internet.

Security firm Tipping Point disclosed three of the IE vulnerabilities this past summer through their Zero Day Initiative. "Vulnerabilities in IE are generally pretty serious because all you have to do is go to a web page or get referred to one that has malicious code on it,” said Tipping Point’s Jason Avery. Patches today also covered several holes in Office and Integrated Windows Authentication and Indeo Codec in XP and Server 2003. So get updating everyone.

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Posted 11/06/09 at 08:02:23 AM by Paul Lilly

Microsoft's security team is having a busy month when that traditionally hasn't been the case in November. As such, IT departments need to prepare for six security updates next week to fix flaws in both Windows and Office.

"Six is the lucky number this month," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Network Security. "Really, anything less than 13 is a lucky number."

That's only half as many that were issued last month, which set the record for the most updates ever since Microsoft starting shipping the monthly patches six years ago. But next week's updates, which will patch 15 separate vulnerabilities, also sets a record for November, a month that's traditionally been pretty low-key.

On the bright side, none of next Tuesday's updates affect Microsoft's recently released Windows 7 operating system.

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Posted 10/13/09 at 07:02:36 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Security flaws in Adobe reader and Acrobat are nothing new, but in a recent round of updates, Adobe has patched 29 vulnerabilities at once. The updates also included a new software updater that should, once activated, deliver patches in a more effective way.

This will be a welcome change for anyone that’s had to use the current updater. It only checks for updates to Adobe software weekly, and given the frequency of exploits in their products, it isn’t enough. Some updates would even mysteriously vanish from the updater, leaving users vulnerable. This should all change with the new version.

The other vulnerabilities addressed in the set of patches revolved mostly around remote code execution attacks. One of which was already in use around the internet. Adobe warned Mac and Unix users that the same vulnerabilities exist on their platforms as well. The internet is a dangerous place.

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Posted 07/16/09 at 07:03:15 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Microsoft has ended support for Office 2000, which was launched a decade ago. The productivity suite had been in its extended support period since July 1, 2004, which elapsed on Tuesday. If your heart still beats for Office 2000 for some reason, you can find all the patches that were released for Office 2000, during its 10-year support lifecycle, on the Download Center.

Microsoft is gearing up to enter a new era with its upcoming Office 2010 productivity suite. The company launched a limited-by-invitation technical preview of Office 2010 on Monday. It has also announced it plans to offer a web-based version of the application suite called Office Online.

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Posted 07/05/08 at 01:38:29 AM by Paul Lilly

This holiday weekend many of you will be kicking back with a cold one, firing up the grill, spectating your local fireworks display, and perhaps catching up on a videogame or two when the festivities all come to an end. But while you're busy unwinding, hackers continue to look for ways to distribute malicious code and exploit vulnerabilities. Don't let what's supposed to be a relaxing weekend turn into a hair-pulling experience because you were caught off guard.

Update to Opera 9.5.1

Opera Software unveiled version 9.5 of its flagship browser less than a month ago, and the first major update is now available. Patching Opera to version 9.5.1 addresses several bugs and stability issues, and at least one "highly critical" vulnerability that could be used to execute arbitrary code. And it's not just Windows users that should install the update, but Mac OS X and Linux lovers too. Areas addressed in the update include:

• User Interface
• Mail/News
• Display and Scripting
• Security
• Miscellaneous

View the 9.5.1 changelog for a detailed list of changes, and then hit the jump to see why you should be extra cautious about using the VLC Media Player.

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