Tip #4148 - September Security Updates
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Q:
Do you know if Microsoft has set any security patches in place for the
month of September yet? If so, what are they and when should we be looking
for them? Thanks for your help!
A:
Wow, you guys are good! It's only a few days into September and you're
already asking about the security updates Microsoft issues each month.
That shows you really care about your computer and its safety and that's
wonderful to hear. All of us here at WorldStart care about our computers
too, so we usually stay on top of this kind of information with each passing
month and this one is no exception. Make sure you keep reading for all
the pertinent information you're going to need to keep your computer safe
for the month of September 2007. Here we go!
As some of you may
know, Microsoft tends to release their patch updates on Tuesdays and well,
in case you didn't know, today is Tuesday! So, that means today is the
day. Yes, the patches are released to go out today, so just keep an eye
out for them. And who knows, some of you may already have a jump on the
day and you've already gotten yours taken care of. Or, maybe you haven't
received your notice yet. Either way, the patches are available, so go
ahead and do whatever you need to do to keep your computer updated and
safe. I'll be doing the same!
Now, I know I promised
you more information about the updates and since I never break a promise,
here you go! As you may recall, throughout the summer, it seemed like
the patches coming through to us were always of a critical nature. For
example, there were four critical errors in June, three in July and a
whopping six of them in August. Whoa! Luckily, September is a little different
with only one critical patch coming through. What's it for, you ask? Well,
according to Microsoft, it is a patch for a remote code execution problem
that has been found in the Windows operating systems.
Along with that critical
error, there are four other fixes you will need to download as well. They
have been rated as "important," so it's necessary to pay attention
to them as well, but again, they're not as involved as the critical error.
The four other flaws deal with various problems within a few different
products. The first one has to do with a remote code execution problem
within the Visual Studio program, the second one deals with an elevation
of privilege risk for some of the Windows services in UNIX, the third
has to do with an elevation privilege risk within the SharePoint company's
server product and the last one consists of a remote code execution error
in the MSN and Windows Live Messenger programs.
Of course, that all
may seem like gibberish to you, but it's still important for you to pay
attention to these updates. All you have to do is download them once they
show up on your computer, just like normal. Also, just for a heads up,
you will probably have to restart your computer after they're all completed.
While the updates
are running on your computer, Microsoft will also be updating the Microsoft
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, which is routine with most security
updates. They will also be releasing one high-priority non-security update
through the Microsoft Update system. You don't need to be worried about
either of those, as they are pretty common material.
One more thing: You
also need to keep in mind that while I was writing this article, all of
this information was correct, but that doesn't mean something could change
between now and when the updates show up on your computer. Microsoft is
always changing things around, so it's always possible that one of the
updates may come through differently. At least you now have an idea of
what to look for though. I mean, I love knowing what's coming up ahead,
especially when it involves my computer. Don't you? Stay safe!
~ Erin
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