Mr. Security Says Patch Your System NOW!

Microsoft has announced some newly discovered vulnerabilities in the Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems. These vulnerabilities are similar to those leveraged by the MSBlast (Lovesan) worm that crippled many systems across the Internet a few weeks ago. This patch (MS03-039) is a available at their website:

Industry experts believe that it is only a matter of days before a virus exploiting these vulnerabilities appears. It is strongly recommended that you download the patch and install it on your personal computer(s) at home. Note: Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME users are not affected by these vulnerabilities and users with these operating systems DO NOT need to download and install the patch.

There is also another situation that needs your attention. There has been a rash of hoax and virus-containing email messages making their rounds for the past few days, focusing on the theme of the September 11 attacks. These messages should be deleted without forwarding or opening the attachments. One in particular, which mentions a WTC Survivor virus, is a hoax and has been circulating for over a year. Please do not forward it to anyone.

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