Microsoft

Microsoft has issued six security updates, fixing critical bugs in Windows components ranging from Internet Explorer to the Microsoft NetWare client service.

The updates were released Tuesday as part of Microsoft's monthly cycle of security patches. Five of the November updates are rated critical by Microsoft, meaning that these bugs could be exploited by attackers to run unauthorized software on a system without user action. Microsoft rates the sixth update, which fixes the NetWare flaw, as "important."

Gmail's popularity may be viral, but the e-mail software is not a virus--despite a Microsoft alert.

From late last week until Sunday night, the Windows Live OneCare security software incorrectly flagged the Google e-mail service as a threat. A warning popped up when OneCare users opened the Gmail Web site, telling them that their systems were infected with a virus called "BAT/BWG.A."

A serious security flaw in Visual Studio 2005 disclosed by Microsoft last week is already being attacked, the software giant has admitted.

The incident represents the latest black eye for Microsoft over security, and is part of an increasingly common trend - attackers taking advantage of an unpatched or "zero-day" flaw well before a fix is available. Just last week, Microsoft acknowledged attacks exploiting a newly discovered, different, unpatched bug in the XMLHTTP 4.0 ActiveX control.

Well, folks, Vista has heard the sound of inevitability. It's out! And, of course, not only for sale (you already know that, you don't need me telling it again), but out on the torrent file sharing network. The final version of Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Vista, was first seen yesterday on several important torrent websites. All users confirmed that the version listed was indeed
6.0.6000, the official RTM Vista version.

Outgoing Microsoft co-president Jim Allchin posted a blog entry Friday apologizing for the confusion surrounding comments he made to reporters Wednesday about being so confident in Windows Vista's security that his seven-year-old son's PC had no antivirus software installed.

Microsoft has announced that it will release six security updates next week, including at least one to fix a vulnerability that attackers are already actively exploiting.

In the advance notification posted on its website, Microsoft said it would release five updates for Windows and one targeting XML Core Services. At least two of the updates will be labeled "critical," Microsoft's highest warning rating.

During a telephone conference with reporters yesterday, outgoing Microsoft co-president Jim Allchin, while touting the new security features of Windows Vista, which was released to manufacturing yesterday, told a reporter that the system's new lockdown features are so capable and thorough that he was comfortable with his own seven-year-old son using Vista without antivirus software installed.

Microsoft's Windows Vista will be available to retail customers from 30 January 2007, the company has said.

The news comes days after the firm said the next version of the Windows operating system would be available to corporate customers from 30 November.

New elements in the updated software include an improved 3D interface, more search options and extra security.

Vista will be Microsoft's first new versions of Windows for the PC market since 2001.

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it has completed work on its long-delayed Windows Vista operating system and plans to release it to consumers January 30.

The announcement means Microsoft is on track to meet its revised release schedule.

Jim Allchin, co-president of the Microsoft division that includes Windows, said in a conference call that Windows Vista's code was released to begin manufacturing copies early Wednesday.

The agreement between Novell and Microsoft is actually three agreements, and one of them will see Microsoft buying $240 million of SUSE Linux certificates. New details about the deal surfaced yesterday in a Novell filing with the SEC, where the company spelled out the financial arrangements in detail.