Today is Patch Tuesday again. The ninth of the year already. Microsoft has released five new security bulletins, and Adobe has joined the party with some security patching of its own today. With all of the vulnerabilities and updates, though, you need to take a step back to prioritize and figure out which patches are most urgent.
Today is Patch Tuesday, and Microsoft is taking it easy on IT admins with a meager two security bulletins this month. But, don't let the small number of updates lull you into a false sense of security. They may be few, but the patches this month are still crucial for network and computer security.
Guess what today is? Yes, it is Fat Tuesday--the official kick off of Mardi Gras.
Bug fixes and security patches don't make for the most exciting Windows update, but they're the high points of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, now widely available for download.
In January, Microsoft only released two security bulletins, but even at the time it was common knowledge that a number of known vulnerabilities were not yet addressed. In February, Microsoft is apparently catching up on patches for outstanding zero-day threats and then some--with a total of 12 new security bulletins.
One of the biggest security threats out there doesn't come from malicious hackers or online identity thieves. It actually comes from you, the innocent PC user and your out-of-date software. But you can put an end to that threat with the free Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI), which identifies and helps patch the problematic programs you may be running.
Apple has finally released the highly-anticipated iOS 4.2. While the attention around iOS 4.2 has been focused on the enhancements and new features -- particularly for the iPad, the update also fixes more than 80 vulnerabilities in the iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
Microsoft published its advanced notification for next week's Patch Tuesday. The good news for the November updates is that there are will only be three security bulletins -- a relatively calm month following a record-breaking October. The bad news is that the recently discovered IE zero-day is not one of the vulnerabilities being fixed.
Adobe released two new security updates today. The patches for Adobe RoboHelp and Adobe InDesign are both rated Important, and Adobe recommends that affected users apply the necessary updates as soon as possible.
Adobe released a handful of patches this week to address serious security vulnerabilities. The most relevant update for the vast majority of users is the patch for Adobe Flash Player, but IT admins should also be aware of the updates for ColdFusion and Flash Media Server.