Geoff Spick12 October 2009, 10:45 PM
Windows 7 gets its first patches and its not even officially out yet as a monster bundle of fixes and updates hit the net today.
With nine "Critical" and five "Important" updates, October's patch Tuesday is a biggie, if not a record for Microsoft which addresses some 34 vulnerabilities. Among the critical updates are a host of fixes to prevent remote code execution and block security holes across Windows, Internet Explorer 8, Silverlight and other components of the modern desktop. There is a complete list of systems affected,
here.
The
Microsoft Security Response Blog explains that "Usually we do not go into this level of detail in the advance notification but we felt that it is important guidance so customers can plan accordingly and deploy these updates as soon as possible." It links to the relevant security advisories that may be of use to admins and others. Keep reading down for some insight into how Microsoft rates the severity of threats.
Stand-by to grab the latest updates to protect your PCThis Windows-centric update comes hot on the heels of Cisco's
bi-annual patch-fest that fixed a dozen holes in the server-room kit that powers the Internet and many company systems. So, do you feel secure when browsing the Internet? With even the most paranoid of people, like the head of America's FBI, nearly
getting stung, take precautions and be safe out there!