Security firms skeptical about Vista shift
Security rivals' reaction to word that Microsoft will make changes in Windows Vista to allay competitive concerns: We'll believe it when we see it.
Microsoft
Microsoft makes changes to Vista in EU, S. Korea
Microsoft Corp. said on Friday it had made changes to its new Vista operating system to meet all the demands of the European Union and South Korea, hoping to avoid further antitrust action.
New Attack on Microsoft's PowerPoint
Just days after patching four bugs in PowerPoint, Bob McMillan of IDG News Service tells us that Microsoft is warning of a new attack targeting its presentation software.
Microsoft puts key security under Windows umbrella
As part of its ongoing reorganization, Microsoft on Thursday moved more responsibility for its security efforts into its Windows unit.
The software maker said it will merge its security response unit, its Trustworthy Computing effort, and an engineering excellence product in one group to be led by Scott Charney. That unit will be a part of the Windows Core Operating System Division, now headed by Jon DeVaan.
By moving the unit inside Windows, DeVaan said Microsoft believes it can "become more effective and efficient at understanding what's going on with security."
PatchGuard expected to break soon
PatchGuard, a Microsoft technology to protect key parts of Windows, will be hacked sooner rather than later, a security expert said Thursday in Canada.
Hackers will break through the protection mechanism soon after Microsoft releases Windows Vista, Aleksander Czarnowski, a technologist at Polish security company AVET Information and Network Security, said in a presentation at the Virus Bulletin being held in Montreal.
Hackers Stepping Up Pace of Microsoft Exploits
The cat-and-mouse game that Microsoft Corp. and hackers have been playing for years escalated this week, just as the software giant was addressing some of the biggest problems facing computer users.
Windows CE wide open to mobile malware
Kaspersky Lab issues warning that will make Microsoft WinCE.
Microsoft's Windows CE is "extremely vulnerable" to mobile malware, industry experts warned today.
A new report from Kaspersky Lab said that Windows CE is wide open because it has no restrictions on executable applications and their processes.
Networking Snafu Gums Up Microsoft Security Patches
Networking problems today kept Microsoft from distributing its latest security patches to users of its automatic update services.
The updates, released at about 11 a.m. Pacific time, fix a whopping 26 vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, and the .Net framework. Many of the flaws involved are considered critical, but the fixes were still unavailable 4 hours later via many of Microsoft's most popular update services. Late in the day, the problem was corrected.
Microsoft ends technical support for Windows XP SP1
As of today, Microsoft has ended technical support for Windows XP SP1. While Microsoft provides mainstream support for its operating systems for at least five years (Windows XP is not older than five years), it only provides support for its Service Packs for one year. Anyone still running the original Windows XP, Windows XP SP1, and Windows XP SP1a must upgrade to Windows XP SP2 in order to continue to receive security updates. Simply visit Microsoft Update and download the service pack.
Microsoft promises Vista security
A senior Microsoft executive has promised that its new operating system will be more secure than ever.
Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International, said that beefing-up security was one reason behind delays to Windows Vista.
Microsoft has been criticised for flaws in previous systems that left users vulnerable to attacks by hackers.
Mr Courtois said Microsoft had done "tons of work to make Vista a fantastic experience when it comes to security".
