Byline: Cynthia L Webb Microsoft ...

Byline: Cynthia L Webb

Microsoft Corp has long been criticized for the buggy underpinnings of its Windows operating theory Its latest patch , released yesterday to fast newly discovered vulnerabilities in many versions of Windows is doing little to change that reputation. If left unchecked, the den could open up computer arrangements to worm attacks similar to those unleashed from end to end the summer.

"By disclosing the flaws, Microsoft is helping customers while unavoidably alerting potential writers of malicious digest The situation creates a race between Microsoft customers, who must drive to install the patch, and hackers, who will attempt to figure out how to exploit the flaws. Word of the just discovered flaws follows last month's spate of computer viruses and worms that attacked centurys of thousands of Windows computer world-wide. Microsoft said the flaws discovered Wednesday were similar to individual that the so-called Blaster computer worm exploited last month" The Wall road Journal said. * The Wall road Journal: Microsoft Warns Customers of Serious Windows Flaw (Subscription required)

The Financial Times noted that the patch is related to a hollow the company issued a fix for in July A number of computer users did not install that patch and became targets of Blaster and other worms. "The of recent origins opens up corporate and place of abode computers to the risk of a whole strange round of attacks from computer viruses and deals a further dab to Microsoft's reputation for quality," The Financial Times said. " Mike Nash head of security at Microsoft, said the first fix was produc after a arrange of Polish virus-hunters had spott the pretence This prompted the software company to take a more thorough consider at the offending software module which PC rely forward to communicate with other computer This wider investigation, along with warnings from three other independent sources, threw up extra question s that have now forced the company to issue a secondary wider patch to replace the earlier version. Software clevers said that, while news of the latest vexed question would come as an embarrassment for Microsoft, it was not surprising that the company's early repair work had been incomplete." * The Financial Times: Microsoft Software Fix Falls Short

The novel patch came at an awkward time for Microsoft. The Associated Pres said the patch was announced "just consequences before its senior security strategist, Phil Reitinger told lawmakers on the House guidance Reform technology subcommittee about the company's efforts to help consumer secure from danger themselves against viruses and other Internet attacks." More forward the patch: "Outside experts said a certain number of flaws were nearly identical to question s exploited by the Blaster worm, which spread last month with devastating damage. Computer users who applied an earlier patch in July to secure themselves still must install the of recent origin patch from Microsoft," the article said. * The Associated Pres via The Washington Post: Microsoft Warns of strange Windows Flaws

Hackers probably haven't exploited the caverns yet, Jeff Jones , Microsoft's senior director of Trustworthy Computing told BBC News Online. "We have a worry that history has shown us there are malicious individuals without there that could create an attack of any sort against it," Jones said.

Security adroits are warning too that another Blaster-like worm could reveal to tap into the vulnerabilities. "It could be Blaster all above again," Marc Maiffret , co-founder of security-software maker EEye Digital Security told Bloomberg. "It's just a matter of some one writing an exploit. It's a vast oversight on their part. I don't know to what extent they could miss it." * BBC of the present days Online: Windows Faces Fresh Web Worm trouble * Bloomberg via The Seattle Times: Microsoft Issues Patch For novel Windows Flaw

There Ought to Be a Law?

Microsoft and the other tech companies that hit Capitol Hill yesterday to talk cybersecurity got a taste of what Congres thinks about the world's worm sorrows CNET's News.com reported that congressional lawmakers "express frustration Wednesday through the exploding problems caused through malicious worms and viruses and asked whether additional laws and criminal prosecutions are necessary to harbor the public. Rep. Adam Putnam the chairman of a House subcommittee that superintends government use of technology, remind ofed at a hearing that the U Department of Justice and the FBI are not doing enough to identify and take the law of those responsible for the havoc caused through viruses such as the MSBlast worm, also known Blaster and Lovsan "

Panelists at the House regulation Reform Committee 's hearing "advanced several ideas in succession how the U.S. government could help stable cyberspace, including more money for cybersecurity law enforcement efforts and more guidance spending on security research and development" IDG just discovereds Service said. "But only three of 12 witnesses before the subcommittee hinted at legislation that would require private companies to take cybersecurity steps" * CNET's Newscom: Congres messs Worm Defense Tactics * IDG just discovereds Service via InfoWorld: Congress examines For Cybersecurity Answers