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Microsoft Focuses on Security
by Arie Slob
Hello Windows users,
 After having had several security breaches in their products over the last months, Microsoft announced a security initiative this week to reassure its customers. The new initiative is called the Strategic Technology Protection Program.
"As an industry leader, Microsoft recognizes it has a special obligation to help ensure the security of the Internet and our customers' data," said Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "This is a problem that affects the entire industry, but we recognize that there is more work to do. Effective immediately, we are stepping up our efforts with the singular focus of ensuring the security of our customers' networks and businesses. We will not rest until all our customers have what they need to get secure and stay secure."
The first phase of Microsoft's Strategic Technology Protection Program, Get Secure, will include free virus-related product support, a new online Security Tool Kit that includes an easy-to-use lockdown tool for Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server's Internet Information Services (IIS) and extensive customer outreach via Microsoft's worldwide organization of account managers and field representatives. A second, longer-term phase of the program, Stay Secure, will provide customers with the tools, technologies and resources they need to stay secure. As part of the Stay Secure phase, Microsoft will deliver the next version of IIS locked down by default, providing customers with an automated tool to customize and secure IIS to meet their individual business computing needs.
New Security Tool Kit.
The extensive Security Tool Kit, part of the Get Secure phase, is available online at the Microsoft Security Web site. The Security Tool Kit includes service packs and security hot fixes for the Windows NT® 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems that are needed to address critical security exposures along with security tools (including the IIS Lockdown tool) to help customers more effectively and simply secure their networks today. Customers can also preorder a free CD version of this kit which will include a one-button security update capability for small and medium-sized businesses that will be publicly available on Oct. 15.
As part of the Stay Secure phase, Microsoft plans to begin providing customers with comprehensive security roll-up packages via Windows Update. Each package will require one step to deploy and only one system reboot. Microsoft is also planning a new version of AutoUpdate, an automated service for providing business customers with the comprehensive security roll-up packages updates.
Microsoft is also taking a hard look at their own software, and is expanding the scope of their Secure Windows Initiative (SWI) which was announced at the RSA Conference last April. SWI focuses solely on continually improving Microsoft's own development processes to deliver more secure and reliable products and technologies to our customers. Microsoft say it will apply the tools and processes of SWI to the development of Windows 2000 SP3 to provide improved security. Microsoft has also taken aggressive steps to eliminate buffer overruns from the next version of IIS. Microsoft will deliver that server software locked down by default and include an automatic, wizard-like tool to help customers customize and secure IIS to meet their individual business computing needs.
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Microsoft Security
Malformed Excel or PowerPoint Document Can Bypass Macro Security
Microsoft has released patches for a security vulnerability in Microsoft® Excel and PowerPoint for Windows® or Macintosh®. Excel and PowerPoint have a macro security framework that controls the execution of macros and prevents macros from running automatically. A flaw exists in the way macros are detected that can allow a malicious user to bypass macro checking.
Affected Software Versions
- Office 98 & 2001 for Macintosh
- Office 2000 & 2002 for Windows
More...
Norton Internet Security 2002
- Norton AntiVirus protects your PC from viruses
- Norton Personal Firewall defends against hackers
- Norton Privacy Control keeps your personal information private
- Norton Parental Control keeps your children safe on the Internet
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Web Site Updates
These pages were added/updated in the past week. Information on previously updated/added pages is available on the What's New? page for 1 month.
InfiniSource.com
Updated: Fatal Exception 0E Errors
Updated: The Truth About VMM32.VXD
Updated: Internet Search Resources
Added: No Shortage of American Flags Online
Added: Excite@Home Rolls Over, Files Bankruptcy
Added: Organize Your Microsoft Outlook Email
Windows-Help.NET
Added: Microsoft Focuses on Security
Added: MS Security: Malformed Excel or PowerPoint Document Can Bypass Macro Security
Added: Microsoft Launches Pocket PC 2002
Windows 98
Updated: Msgsrv32 Errors
Updated: Dial-Up Networking Errors
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Highlights
Excite@Home Rolls Over, Files Bankruptcy
Major stockholder and potential benefactor AT&T to bid on Excite's assets.
Read Full Article
Organize Your Microsoft Outlook Email
Program promises to save time, increase efficiency and reduce email overload.
Read Full Article
No Shortage of American Flags Online
American Flag wallpaper, screen savers, the Anthem, plus, all Free and Online!
Read Full Article
Webmaster list
Microsoft Launches Pocket PC 2002
This week, Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer took the stage at The Concourse in San Francisco to announce widespread retail availability of Pocket PC 2002-based devices.
Read Full Article
InfiniSource TechFile: The MaxMTU Fix
Double the Speed of Internet Connection.
Read Full Article
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06 Oct. 2001, Vol 4 No. 40
