Internet Security and Programming

Microsoft today issued a critical software update to plug at least three security holes in its Windows operating systems. The patch, which applies to all supported versions of Windows, is available from the Microsoft Update Web site, or via Automatic Updates. All three security vulnerabilities relate to a weakness that Microsoft calls the “Server Message Block” (SMB) protocol, a component of Windows used to provide shared access to files, printers, and other communications over a network. Blueprints showing would-be attackers how to exploit one of the flaws were posted online back in October; Microsoft said the other two vulnerabilities were privately reported. SMB threats can generally be stopped by a decent firewall, as they rely on the attacker or malicious software having direct access to a network hosting vulnerable systems. However, businesses typically test patches before deploying them to make sure they don’t interfere with custom software, and in the

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