The latest threat, "Download.Ject," infiltrates computers



after users surfing with Microsoft's "Internet Explorer" web

browser visit websites infected with the virus.

This newest security patch covers Windows XP, 2000, and

Windows Server 2003.

Several factors make this latest development more disturbing

than past discoveries of security problems with Internet

Explorer, currently the most dominant web browser on the

market.

First, it demonstrates very clearly that criminals

discovered they can use the power of viruses to very

profitably steal important bank, personal, and credit data

from people on a large scale.

Second, it took Microsoft what many would consider a very

long time to come up with a patch for this problem.

Before a fix appeared, Microsoft told everyone who uses

Internet Explorer to stick their finger in the dyke by

putting their web browser security settings on high,

rendering it impossible to view or use features on many

websites and web-based services.

Third, expect this to happen again as new holes open in the

future when Microsoft makes Windows more complicated, adds

layers of code, and generally makes the operating system

more complex.

This may sound like business as usual, however, I think

this story actually points to a much deeper problem, one for

which I'm not sure a simple solution exists.

Though free and reasonably reliable, many people do not

automatically update their Windows operating system through

the update service on Microsoft's website. (I won't even get

into how many people don't operate up-to-date anti-virus

protection.)

Whenever Microsoft publishes a security update, especially

for a highly publicized and obviously widespread security

breach, thousands of people will not immediately download

the update.

In fact, tens-of-thousands of users will not download these

security updates for days, weeks, even months (if ever).

So let me ask what seems like a very elementary question: By

publishing security updates that point out very obvious

flaws in their system, doesn't Microsoft also point the way

to exactly where the holes exist?

Let me put it another way.

Doesn't this rate the same as discovering that the local

bank vault won't lock and then announcing the details on the

front page of the paper along with the dates and times no

bank guard will be on duty?

After all, if tens-of-thousands of users won't immediately

get the Microsoft Security Patch, don't those patches show

hackers exactly which holes get plugged (and which,

logically, must already be open without the patch)?

It doesn't take a hacker with more than a basic set of

skills to recognize where and what holes got fixed and then

reverse-engineer how they can get into computers that don't

get updated.

Now, do I have a concrete, 100% bullet-proof answer to this

problem? Unfortunately, I don't have more than a common-

sense answer...

At this point, your best defense rates staying current on

the latest threats and how to defend against them.

Keep your anti-virus software current, your firewall up, and

your Windows software updated with the latest security

patches.

Though not a perfect solution, at least you'll have a

fighting chance to prevent, or at least minimize, any

possible threats.