Here are two keys words for Microsoft Windows shops to remember come this Patch Tuesday: “six” and “restart.” Six is the number of a critical bulletins Microsoft will release on February 9 that affect all the currently supported versions of Windows on both the desktop and server. And a system restart will be required for these Windows patches, which will mean down time for servers. In fact, 10 of the record-tying 13 bulletins require a restart. In all, five are listed as critical, seven important and one moderate. Microsoft getting better at Patch Tuesday updates, experts say The last time Microsoft had so many bulletins was in October 2009. In the preliminary patch information issued Thursday, Microsoft does not say how many total vulnerabilities are in those 13 bulletins. In October, the number was 34. Experts say on average there are two vulnerabilities per bulletin. “Bulletin six is definitely key, we can see that both server teams and desktop teams are going to be impacted,” says Don Leatham, senior director of solutions and strategy for Lumension. Leatham says IT teams should look at their maintenance windows and see how and when they can get these critical patches out. “With bulletin six it might be worthwhile to move up the maintenance window if need be,” he says. Many organizations with patching policies time server maintenance with patch releases. Leatham says users should not wait to scramble on Tuesday but instead should start prepping as soon as possible. “Usually when there have been bulletins like this in the past that cover every single Windows platform it means it could be fairly low level in the OS,” he says. This month, the other trend is that there are fewer patches on the applications side. Only two patches address applications and both are for Microsoft Office. Microsoft had a single patch last month, which was in the font engine of Windows. Follow John on Twitter: twitter.com/johnfontana
Archive for the Category ◊ XP ◊
Microsoft plans to release the final version of its free antivirus software soon, according to a note sent to testers late Sunday.
“The final version of Microsoft Security Essentials will be released to the public in the coming weeks,” Microsoft said in the note.
Microsoft first announced its plans for the product, then code-named Morro, last November, at the same time the company said it was scrapping its paid Windows Live OneCare product.
Public beta testing of Security Essentials started in June, with Microsoft reaching its goal of 75,000 testers just one day after it issued a call for them.
I get a lot of email from people who believe their computer is infected by a virus. In most cases, it’s not infected at all–evil software designers are still outnumbered by incompetent ones.
And even if there is malware involved, it’s almost certainly not a virus.
The word virus refers to a very specific way that malware spreads from one PC to another. A computer virus infects an executable file, like a program, the way a biological virus infects a cell. When it gets the chance, it infects another file, and thus spreads.
Or perhaps I should say used to spread. Over the last few years, rogue programmers have found better ways to infect your computer, more suited for the Internet and email age. For instance, Trojans–programs that trick you into opening them, and infect your computer when you do–are quite popular among the tech-savvy criminal set.
Yet the word virus stays around. Why?
Because viruses were the most prominent form of malware when large numbers of people finally figured out that this was something to worry about. Everyone was talking about viruses in the 1990’s. One of them destroyed an evil corporation in seconds, and another saved the world from alien invasion. (And no, I’m not going to tell you what movies I’m talking about; that would be spoiling.)
Thus, to the uninformed, the word virus came to mean any malicious computer program. It’s like using the name Frankenstein to refer to the monster rather than the monster maker.
So check yourself before you tell someone your computer has a virus. You’re probably admitting your own ignorance.
Ineptitude and arrogance cause most PC problems, but vicious software designed to trick you, steal from you, and use your computer to hurt other people do the worst damage. After all, bugs aren’t designed to protect themselves, but “viruses” are.
(Why did I just put the word viruses in quotation marks? Anything that infects your PC today is almost certainly not, technically, a virus. But the word has become a common term for any malicious software, whether it spreads like a virus or not. See Is It a Virus? for details.)
What are some of the signs that you may have an infection?
* Your home page keeps changing, or web searches keep taking you to the wrong page.
* Software that should protect you, like your anti-virus program, can’t update or no longer works properly.
* Common programs you can use to configure your system, such as msconfig or System Restore, stop working.
* Your computer accesses the Internet a lot when you’re not using the Internet.
* Your security software tells you that you have an infection, but can’t get rid of it.
If you think you have an infection, try the following four fixes, in this order. And use them all, even if the second one solves the problem.
1) Accept that your anti-virus program has failed. Don’t be too hard on it; you just had the misfortune to get the malware before the update that would have protected you from it. But until everything else is fixed, your current software probably isn’t working.
2) Restore the system. Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Follow the prompts to restore from a time before you starting having the problem. If you don’t have a restore point that old, go on to step 2. If System Restore fails to work, reboot into Safe Mode (reboot, then press F8 before Windows starts loading (it may take a few tries to get the timing right) and try System Restore there.
3) Get a second opinion from another security program. I recommend the free version of either SUPERAntiSpyware or Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. Download the program, install it, and have it scan your hard drive and eliminate what it finds.
4) Get a third opinion. Repeat with the other of those two programs.
If you’re not satisfied that you’re now clean, download and install another free program: Trend Micro’s HijackThis. This one doesn’t actually fix anything, but it gives you a very thorough, and for most people, thoroughly unreadable report. But someone who knows what they’re doing can study this report and figure out what your problem is and what you can do about it.
Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first, such as:
- Advertising
- Collecting personal information
- Changing the configuration of your computer
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information.
Trading tracking for services
That does not mean all software that provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but you “pay” for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
What spyware does
Other kinds of spyware make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.
These programs can change your Web browser’s home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don’t need or want. They also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you had them.
Know what you’re installing
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program.
Whenever you install something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it might appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.
There are a number of ways spyware or other unwanted software can get on your computer. To learn more about spyware, read How to help prevent spyware.