security

  • Thread starter Thread starter anne mcbride
  • Start date Start date
A

anne mcbride

I heard on NPR today that there is a patch for a security
vunerability that needs to be applied to all Windows XP
systems. It said it was a recently discovered
vulnerability that would allow someone to log on and take
over control of your computer. I have XP Professional
and have searched your security patch listing. I am
confused about which one to download. Can you help?
 
Greetings --

Simply go to the Windows Update site and install any updates
identified as "Critical."

Microsoft Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Bruce Chambers

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Anne;
If you are interested in protecting your computer:

Install or enable a firewall IMMEDIATELY, before connecting to the
internet:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=283673

Install ALL Critical Updates.
Start/All Programs/Windows Update
Perform this weekly.
The update you refer to will be one of the ones installed.
It is by no means the only necessary patch, just the patch making news
today.

Install an antivirus application
Update it weekly
Run it at least weekly

Also see:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp
 
"Bruce Chambers" said:
Simply go to the Windows Update site and install any updates
identified as "Critical."
Click to expand...

And if you hear stories of computers that have been unable to install the
correct patch from Windows Update, you can check with the Microsoft Baseline
Security Analyser - MBSA. (Note - do not call this the "Microsoft BS
Analyser" :-))

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=320454 tells you how to download and run
this tool.

For my money, Windows Update has been reliable - but if you've got a machine
that's known for giving all sorts of problems and flakeyness, you might want
to check.

The big answer, still, is to make sure that infected machines cannot
communicate with your machine. Install a firewall:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

Alun.
~~~~

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