Microsoft releases 49 Security Patches

On Tuesday 10-12-10, Microsoft Issued 49 security patches, the biggest ever. The security patches are to protect PC’s from hackers taking control of the system. This is because the Stuxnet virus, which attacked the Iranian nuclear power plant, can influence PC’s in a big way.

Worm Chomping on Computer

The security patch affects Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office. Four of the new patches, which include software updates that write over glitches, are high priority; users are advised to deploy the patches right away to protect users from potential criminal attacks on the Windows operating systems.

In addition to these high profile patches, Microsoft also wanted to repair other less serious security weaknesses in Windows, and with security problems in the Office software for PCs and Microsoft Server software for business computers.

worm_chomping_on_compute

To that end, Microsoft issued 16 security patches to address 49 separate problems; outside researchers who seek out such vulnerabilities in order to win cash bounties as well as to receive notoriety for their technical prowess discovered many of these problems.

The researchers who report such vulnerabilities to software makers are “White Hat” hackers. But their more notorious counterparts, the Black Hat hackers, are searching for more vulnerabilities in software that they can exploit to launch attacks on computer systems.

Indeed, the patches released on Tuesday include software to fix a vulnerability exploited by the Stuxnet virus, which is the program that attacks PCs. This malware program attacks PC on power plants and other infrastructure running Siemens industrial control systems.

This same virus is a menace is parts of the middle east but also in other areas. Apparently, the highest concentration of the virus on computer systems has been spotted in Iran, though it was also spotted in Indonesia, India, the United States, Australia, Britain, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Iran Nuclear Plant

Microsoft is serious about chasing down the Stuxnet virus since it has patched three of the four vulnerabilities exploited by Stuxnet’s. The total of 49 vulnerabilities updates, exceeds the previous record of 34; this was set last year in October 2009 and which was matched patches issued in June and August of 2010.