Security news
Security news13 February 2008
Microsoft users urged to patch now, as critical security issues revealed Windows users at risk from security vulnerabilities
Six of the security bulletins have been rated as critical by Microsoft.
Experts at Sophos have advised companies to keep up-to-date with the latest Microsoft security patches and consider the benefits of Network Access Control (NAC) in light of the announcement of critical security flaws affecting the Windows operating system.
As part of its monthly "Patch Tuesday" schedule Microsoft has issued 11 new bulletins (six of them described as "critical") about security vulnerabilities in its software. The vulnerabilities cover a variety of different Microsoft technologies, including Windows, Internet Explorer, VBScript, and Office.
Sophos recommends that organizations roll-out the patches as a matter of urgency, as some of them could enable hackers to access data on a vulnerable PC or run malicious code such as a worm.
Network Access Control enables companies to control who and what is allowed onto their network; blocking unauthorized users, controlling guest access, and ensuring compliance with a business's security policy. By implementing NAC firms reduce the risk of unauthorized, guest, non-compliant, or infected systems compromising the network, ensuring that only correctly secured computers gain network access.
"NAC identifies managed, unmanaged and guest computers that do not comply with your security policy, and acts a vital tool when dealing with newly reported security vulnerabilities such as these," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "You can quickly tell, for example, which computers are incorrectly patched or have the firewall disabled. You may then choose to automatically fix vulnerabilities before allowing the PCs to access your network, or simply block non-compliant computers. Whether your company is running NAC or not, it's important to take these latest security bulletins from Microsoft seriously and ensure that your business is properly protected."
Home users of Microsoft Windows can visit update.microsoft.com to have their systems scanned for Microsoft security vulnerabilities.
Sophos suggests that every IT manager responsible for security should consider subscribing to vulnerability mailing lists such as that operated by Microsoft at www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.mspx.
- Network Access Control (NAC) - How compliant are your computers?
- Listen to a podcast about Network Access Control
Sophos continues to recommend companies protect their desktops and servers with automatically updated protection against viruses, spyware, hackers, and spam.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
