Microsoft Windows software
Microsoft Windows is the most successful and ubiquitous enterprise software product ever created, and its future developments affect nearly every IT manager in some way. Browse all the latest news and analysis about Microsoft Windows software and the issues around buying, implementing and delivering benefits from Windows.
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News
10 Apr 2024
Patch Tuesday: Windows Server 2008 receives emergency security patch
Support for the OS ended in 2020, but four years on and there's a live exploit of a security flaw that impacts all Windows users Continue Reading
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12 Mar 2024
March Patch Tuesday throws up two critical Hyper-V flaws
Two critical vulnerabilities in Windows Hyper-V stand out on an otherwise unremarkable Patch Tuesday Continue Reading
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31 Jul 2013
Office 365 now available on Android
Following the release of Office Mobile for iPhone, Microsoft has launched Office Mobile for Android Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2013
Ubuntu crowd sources funding for PC smartphone hybrid
Ubuntu has invited early adopters to join crowd-funding ventures to launch Ubuntu Edge, a hybrid PC and mobile phone platform Continue Reading
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18 Jul 2013
Case Study: Johnson Matthey consolidates Active Directory with Dell
Chemicals manufacturer Johnson Matthey uses tools from Dell to simplify a complex, multinational Active Directory infrastructure Continue Reading
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17 Jul 2013
Windows 8 Secrets
Download a step by step guide to installing Windows 8 from the book Windows 8 Secrets. Continue Reading
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17 Jul 2013
CW Buyer's Guide: Client Computing
Computer Weekly looks at Windows 8 and the complexities of mobile working. Continue Reading
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04 Jul 2013
Azure powers Eurozone network to combat counterfeit drugs
Microsoft Azure will be used to power a cloud platform designment to combat counterfeit pharmaceutical product in the EU Continue Reading
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25 Jun 2013
Oracle offers enterprise software on Azure and Hyper-V
Microsoft and Oracle form an alliance to enable Oracle software to run on Hyper-V and Windows Azure infrastructure Continue Reading
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Photo Story
13 Jun 2013
Software Gallery opens at the National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing has opened a new exhibit charting the history of software Continue Reading
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Photo Story
03 Jun 2013
Windows Server 2012 R2: a first look
Microsoft has announced Windows Server 2012 R2, which brings Azure technology to private clouds Continue Reading
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Photo Story
16 May 2013
Microsoft brings Surface Pro tablet to the UK
Following the launch of Windows 8 and the Windows RT-powered Surface tablet, Microsoft is introducing a full-blown tablet for Windows 8 Professional Continue Reading
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Feature
13 May 2013
Workplace IT services in flux: wherever, whenever, whatever
Enterprise computing is in upheaval as the emphasis shifts towards automation and user-device provision. Continue Reading
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10 May 2013
CIO Interview: Graeme Hackland, CIO, Lotus F1 Team
Graeme Hackland, CIO of Lotus F1, has worked for the race car team for 16 years. He has seen major changes in IT both on and off the track Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Microsoft to bring back the Start button in Windows 8?
Amid lacklustre take-up of Windows 8 and a declining PC industry, Microsoft may be set to reintroduce the much-loved Start button in Windows 8 Continue Reading
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07 May 2013
Windows 8 passes 100 million in sales
Microsoft says Windows 8 OS has sold more than 100 million copies, roughly matching Windows 7 in the six months after launch Continue Reading
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19 Apr 2013
Mega vendors: Quarterly results Q1 2013
A number of the larger IT suppliers reported their quarterly financial results for the first quarter of 2013. Continue Reading
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19 Apr 2013
Microsoft reports strong quarterly results for all divisions
Microsoft reported profit of $6bn for the past quarter, up 17% from a year ago, despite a mixed response to Windows 8 and a decline in PC sales Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2013
Windows XP end of support: What to do next
CIOs may not wish to carry on running a 12-year-old desktop OS, but thousands of incompatible applications leave many with no choice Continue Reading
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08 Apr 2013
Microsoft catches up with iPad support for Dynamics CRM
Nucleus Research assesses Microsoft's long-awaited announcement for iPad support and new Yammer capabilities for Dynamics CRM Continue Reading
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18 Mar 2013
Microsoft announces new office 365 offerings
Analyst group, Nucleus Research assesses Microsoft's plans to update to its Office 365 cloud services, including enhanced social capabilities with SharePoint and Yammer. Continue Reading
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11 Feb 2013
IT expert in Microsoft monopoly case faces £2.5m legal fight
A computer expert who advised the European Commission in its investigation into anti-competitive behaviour by Microsoft faces £2.5bn legal battle Continue Reading
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08 Feb 2013
BYOD with VMware
New Windows 8 tablets and laptops are great...but not exactly corporate. So why not run a Windows 7 virtual machine? Continue Reading
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Photo Story
04 Feb 2013
Five steps to turn Windows 8 into Windows 7
Windows 8 ships with new PCs, but many people prefer the old user interface. Here is a guide to getting it back. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2013
EasyJet lifts off with Azure seat bookings
The Azure cloud has allowed Easyjet to enable web site and mobile users to check seat availability Continue Reading
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28 Jan 2013
CW Special Report on Microsoft
This 12 page special report updated for 2012 gives you the facts on Microsoft, its strategy, products and services and financial performance. Continue Reading
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16 Jan 2013
Gartner predicts the demise of the desktop PC refresh cycle
Data from market analyst Gartner paints a bleak picture of the PC industry, suggesting the era of desktop replacement cycles has ended. Continue Reading
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08 Jan 2013
Are software audits good for your health?
The Business Software Alliance's claim that 90% of all audit letters sent in 2012 were the result of tips from whistle-blowers is a wake-up call to CIOs Continue Reading
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28 Dec 2012
Top 10 business software articles of 2012
The main thrust in enterprise software this year has been the introduction of a new Windows OS, programming model and user interface. Continue Reading
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18 Dec 2012
Mott MacDonald rolls out Microsoft software globally
Engineering firm Mott MacDonald is rolling out Microsoft products globally over the next year as it moves towards a Microsoft-centric business strategy Continue Reading
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06 Dec 2012
CW Buyer's Guide: Windows 8
This 11 page buyer's guide looks at the implications of Windows 8 for corporate IT. Continue Reading
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30 Nov 2012
G-Cloud success depends on champions and a change in attitude
G-Cloud director Denise McDonagh has called for public sector champions to push forward adoption of the service. Continue Reading
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26 Nov 2012
Infrastructure as a Service on Windows Azure
Microsoft’s Azure cloud was conceived as an abstracted platform for applications. It now offers infrastructure as a service. Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2012
Emirates takes Windows 8 HP ElitePad 900 to the sky
Airline Emirates is rolling out in-flight Windows 8 tablets to enable cabin crew to access core IT Continue Reading
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13 Nov 2012
Stories That Move Mountains: Improve your presentation skills
Learn how to make your presentation stand out from the crowd and make 'death by slide presentation' a thing of the past with this book extract especially written for IT professionals. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2012
The future of Windows 8 is still on the desktop, says Fujitsu
Windows 8 must work effectively on its core desktop platform despite Microsoft’s recent move into the tablet space, says Fujitsu CTO Continue Reading
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31 Oct 2012
Review: System Mechanic from Iolo
Computer Weekly reviews System Mechanic software from Iolo Continue Reading
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25 Oct 2012
Microsoft in New York: Windows 8, Surface and Times Square
At the Microsoft launch event in New York, the company unveiled Windows 8, its Surface tablet and opened its Times Square store Continue Reading
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14 Oct 2012
Developing software for Windows 8
With Windows 8, Microsoft hopes to make developing enterprise client applications easier, but will compatibility be an issue? Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2012
Microsoft investigates IE zero-day flaw
Microsoft says it is investigating reports of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, and 9 Continue Reading
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04 Sep 2012
Windows Server 2012: inside Microsoft's Enterprise Server OS
Tim Anderson takes a look at Microsoft Server 2012, to see whether it is worth upgrading Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2012
VMware demos Horizon for workspace aggregation
VMware has fleshed out its desktop virtualisation strategy with products designed to make desktop computing more manageable Continue Reading
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Photo Story
20 Aug 2012
Open source review: Ubuntu OS 12.04 LTS
Adrian Bridgwater reviews Canonical's latest operating system for Linux and assesses its fitness for business users Continue Reading
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20 Jul 2012
Guide: Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7
This Computer Weekly Buyer's Guide gives you the facts and advice you need to migrate your organisation from Windows XP to Windows 7. Continue Reading
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18 Jul 2012
First look: Microsoft Office 2013
Steve Ballmer unveiled the new Office on July 16 2012 in San Francisco, describing it at the “biggest, most ambitious release in our history.” Continue Reading
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18 Jul 2012
Microsoft faces substantial EC fine over browser rules breach
Microsoft faces a large fine for failing to offer Windows users a choice of web browser despite apologising to the European Commission (EC) Continue Reading
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17 Jul 2012
Steve Ballmer launches cloud-based Microsoft Office 2013
Steve Ballmer releases a preview of Microsoft's cloud-based Office 2013 suite of productivity tools, which he says works best on Windows 8 OS Continue Reading
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09 Jul 2012
Microsoft confirms Windows 8 OS release in October
Microsoft's latest operating system (OS), Windows 8, will be released to manufacturing in August, with full release due three months later Continue Reading
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28 Jun 2012
Microsoft ramps up Windows 8 security for IT consumerisation
Microsoft is building antivirus and secure, role-based authentication into Windows 8 to make the OS enterprise-ready Continue Reading
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25 Jun 2012
Government slashes SAP and Microsoft spend by £150m
The government expects to slash licence and maintenance spend with Microsoft and SAP up to £150m by 2015, via a framework renegotiation. Continue Reading
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07 Jun 2012
Special Report on Microsoft
This special eight-page report from Computer Weekly analyses the challenges facing Microsoft, its financial performance, the services it offers, its place in the IT market and its future strategy. Continue Reading
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06 Jun 2012
Microsoft publishes its response to government open standards consultation
Microsoft has become the first major IT supplier to publish its submission to the government's consultation on the use of open standards. Continue Reading
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01 Jun 2012
Microsoft softens July licence blow
Microsoft has lowered the price hike planned for July, but businesses still face paying up to 25% more for their software. Continue Reading
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18 May 2012
CW Buyer's Guide: IT Tools
This Computer Weekly buyer’s guide to IT tools shows how you can use software and systems to improve the running of your IT department. Continue Reading
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10 May 2012
Microsoft Convergence 2012
Nucleus Research assesses Microsoft’s plans to extend and develop the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform. Continue Reading
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25 Apr 2012
Infosec 2012: Patching alone can deliver 80% protection
Keeping software up to date with security patches can deliver 80% protection from cyber threats, says security firm Secunia. Continue Reading
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12 Apr 2012
European PC sales boosted by Windows 7 upgrades
European PC sales grew faster than expected in the first quarter of 2012 as corporate users started Windows 7 upgrades, according Gartner. Continue Reading
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11 Apr 2012
Busy security patch month for Microsoft administrators
Microsoft has released six patches, four critical, for 11 vulnerabilities in Office, Windows and various server products in its April security update. Continue Reading
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04 Apr 2012
Microsoft improves virtual desktops but drops inventory software
Microsoft is expanding its desktop virtualisation product family with software that retains user preferences as they switch between devices Continue Reading
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04 Apr 2012
Bodycote simplifies Microsoft licensing to save £411k
Thermal processing plant operator Bodycote has reduced the complexity of its Microsoft environment through an enterprise agreement, saving over £400,000 Continue Reading
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05 Mar 2012
A first look: Windows 8 consumer preview
Windows 8 is not just an upgrade. It is a complete rework of the Windows OS. Speaking at the launch of the beta last week in Barcelona, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky called it a "generational change" Continue Reading
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19 Feb 2012
Government launches CloudStore and names G-Cloud suppliers
The government has launched its CloudStore, a catalogue of 1,700 cloud-based, pre-approved IT services now available for the public sector to buy. Continue Reading
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13 Feb 2012
IE update top priority for Patch Tuesday
Microsoft releases nine bulletins addressing 21 vulnerabilities in its monthly Patch Tuesday security update on 14 February Continue Reading
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10 Feb 2012
Government takes on proprietary software lobby in open standards battle
The government wants to push through open standards against vested interests keen to maintain the dominance of proprietary systems. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2012
Microsoft puts Blackberry service on Office365
Businesses running Microsoft Office 365 can now access Exchange Online on their BlackBerry smartphones. Continue Reading
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25 Jan 2012
UK IT budgets under pressure in 2012
UK IT budgets will remain flat in 2012, a worldwide survey of more than 2,500 IT professionals has revealed. Continue Reading
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05 Dec 2011
SAP buys SaaS firm SuccessFactors in $3.4bn deal
Enterprise software company SAP announces a $3.4bn deal to acquire software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider SuccessFactors. Continue Reading
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19 Oct 2011
Windows Server 8 Preview
Microsoft has previewed the next version of Windows Server, which the company says is optimised for the cloud. The preview is not feature-complete, but the key features are in place and most changes are likely to be in user interface detail and of course fixing bugs. There are three big themes: management, virtualisation and storage, says Tim Anderson, who takes a close look at the new server OS. Continue Reading
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19 May 2011
Microsoft attempts to cement Azure values at TechEd Atlanta
"Cloud Power Delivered" is the subtitle of this year's Microsoft TechEd conference, held in Atlanta and attended by around 10,000 IT professionals and developers. Tim Anderson reports from the event. Continue Reading
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15 Mar 2011
IT failures blamed for immigration system faults
IT failures have been blamed for failures of the points based immigration system in a National Audit Office (NAO) report. Continue Reading
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21 Feb 2011
RSA 2011: Microsoft promotes co-ordinated vulnerability disclosure
Software producers remain largely unresponsive to input from security researchers, according to Aaron Portnoy, manager of the security research team HP TippingPoint. Continue Reading
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14 Nov 2007
Home Office awards £650m e-Borders contract
The Home Office has awarded its £650m eBorders contract to a consortium led by Raytheon Systems. Continue Reading
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26 Sep 2007
Microsoft releases Windows Server 2008 RC0
Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate 0 (RC0) is now available for customer review. Continue Reading
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05 Sep 2007
NAC switches, appliances help track users, malware
Some vendors are offering switches and appliances to monitor traffic for malware and unauthorized access, as the NAC market including Cisco NAC and Microsoft NAP sorts itself out. Continue Reading
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01 Aug 2007
Black Hat 2007: Vista users urged to beware of IPv6
A researcher warns that attackers could make trouble for Vista users by exploiting Teredo, an IPv6 tunneling tool enabled by default in the latest Windows OS. Continue Reading
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31 Jul 2007
Security update fixes Yahoo Widgets flaw
Attackers could exploit a Yahoo Widgets flaw to run malicious code on compromised Windows computers, but a security update is available. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Jul 2007
ISO 27001 could bridge the regulatory divide, expert says
Karen Worstell, former CISO at Microsoft and AT&T Wireless, now on the advisory board of Neupart A/S, explains how ISO 27001 can be used to help companies comply with a variety of regulations and standards Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2007
Inside MSRC: Microsoft Server flaw should be given high priority
An Active Directory flaw in Windows 2000 server and Windows Server 2003 should be given high priority, according to Christopher Budd of the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC). Continue Reading
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09 Jul 2007
Microsoft July updates for critical Excel, Windows and .NET flaws
Of the six security updates Microsoft released Tuesday, experts expressed the most concern about a critical glitch in the .NET Framework that could leave client machines and Web servers open to attack. Continue Reading
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06 Jul 2007
Microsoft preps six security updates for Windows, Office
Microsoft will release six security updates on Tuesday 10 July to address flaws attackers could exploit to launch malicious code and access sensitive information on victims' machines. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Jun 2007
Is a merger or acquisition in Sourcefire's future?
Sourcefire founder and Chief Technology Officer Martin Roesch, talks about how Sourcefire fits into Security 3.0 theme and how the firm may be involved in a future merger or acquisition. Continue Reading
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24 May 2007
Microsoft investigates new Office zero-day flaw
Attackers could exploit a newly-discovered zero-day flaw in Office 2000 to run malicious code on targeted machines, Symantec warned. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 May 2007
Microsoft should scrap Patch Tuesday
Instead of leaving flaws unpatched for weeks between cycles, Microsoft should use its resources to produce high-quality patches shortly after vulnerabilities are discovered. Continue Reading
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12 Apr 2007
Microsoft DNS server flaw called dangerous
UPDATE: Microsoft said Sunday that attacks are still limited, but a proof of concept code to exploit the vulnerability is publicly available. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2007
IT pros eye Windows Server 2003 SP2 with caution
Despite its security and stability enhancements, IT pros say they are in no rush to deploy Windows Server 2003 SP2 Continue Reading
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25 Mar 2007
Microsoft investigates Windows Vista Mail flaw
Attackers could exploit a flaw in Windows Vista Mail to compromise PCs by tricking the user into opening a malicious email attachment. Microsoft is investigating. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Feb 2007
Microsoft takes a blogosphere beating over Vista UAC
This week in Security Blog Log: Industry experts take Microsoft to task over a "very severe hole" in the design of Vista's User Account Controls (UAC) feature. Continue Reading
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13 Feb 2007
Inside MSRC: Microsoft explains security bulletins
Microsoft issued 12 new security bulletins in February. Christopher Budd of the Microsoft Security Response Center provides information about the most important fixes. Continue Reading
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08 Feb 2007
Roundup: Vista security, breakability touted at RSA Conference
At RSA Conference 2007, Microsoft extolled the security virtues of its new operating system, but others weren't afraid to demonstrate how Vista security is lacking. Continue Reading
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04 Feb 2007
Vista exploitable, researcher says
Marc Maiffret, CTO and chief hacking officer of eEye Digital Security, said he has found a way to elevate system privileges by exploiting a flaw in Windows Vista. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2007
Microsoft disputes Word zero-day report
Symantec is warning of a new zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Word. But Microsoft doesn't believe the flaw is new. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2007
Windows Vista voice command tricked
An attacker found a way to play audio commands at a user's machine tricking the voice command capability in Vista into running arbitrary code. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2007
Symantec exploitation video hits YouTube
Symantec posted a clip on the popular video-sharing site showing researchers using a newly discovered flaw in Microsoft Word to drop an executable on a vulnerable machine. Continue Reading
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24 Jan 2007
Microsoft investigates new Word zero-day
An unpatched memory-corruption flaw in Microsoft Word is the target of "limited" attacks in the wild, Microsoft confirmed Thursday. Continue Reading
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11 Jan 2007
Oracle emulates Microsoft with advance patch notice
Oracle will patch 52 security flaws across its product line Tuesday, according to its inaugural CPU advance notification bulletin. Continue Reading
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10 Jan 2007
Out-of-cycle Microsoft patch likely, experts say
Patch specialists and IT administrators were surprised Microsoft didn't fix much-publicised Word zero-day flaws Tuesday. But they don't fault the company for holding back. Continue Reading
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09 Jan 2007
Remote flaw in Vista could earn finder $8,000
VeriSign Inc.'s iDefense Labs is offering an $8,000 bounty to any researcher who finds a remotely exploitable flaw in Windows Vista. Continue Reading
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08 Jan 2007
Critical fixes for Excel, Outlook and Windows
Microsoft starts the year with security updates for Excel, Outlook and Windows. Three of the fixes are rated critical. Continue Reading
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07 Jan 2007
Microsoft nixes four patch bulletins
Eight security updates were originally scheduled for Patch Tuesday , but Microsoft has decided to hold back on half of them. Continue Reading
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13 Dec 2006
Microsoft Vista could improve Internet security
Two new Microsoft Vista features -- Kernel Patch Protection and User Account Control -- could prove especially useful in preventing serious malware infections. Continue Reading
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11 Dec 2006
Inside MSRC: Visual Studio flaw, tool extensions explained
Christopher Budd of the Microsoft Security Response Center sheds detail about a flaw in Visual Studio 2005 and explains that support for Software Update Services 1.0 will be extended. Continue Reading
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11 Dec 2006
Microsoft fixes two zero-day flaws
The December security update from Microsoft includes patches for zero-day flaws in Visual Studio and Windows Media Player, but two zero-day flaws in Word remain unfixed. Continue Reading