January 2005

As usual there are another set of patches for windows. There is an important patch for Small Business Server 2003, and servers with ASP.net content.  It is not included in windows updates, and must be installed from windows download.   

 Details: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;887289

The GDI+ patch that was released in Sept. has serious incompatibilities with Office XP, Visio, Project, and XP SP2. A newer version was released in October. There is now yet another version, which fixes more problems found. Use this tool to determine if you need the patch (link wraps): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5487d75e-6003-412a-8089-b71323a24b03&displaylang=en

For more information: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-028.mspx

Windows update Patch MS04-044 is incompatible with Backup exec 8.6.

Microsoft Support for NT 4 has officially ended Dec 31.  Although official support has ended, Windows updates will continue to be available for 98 and ME until June 2006. To learn more about Microsoft Support lifetimes go to: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle. For information on the support policies for service packs, and a current list of product service packs, go to: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifesupsps

Adobe’s Adobe Acrobat 6.x and the free Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.x both have multiple vulnerabilities which could expose sensitive information, or give an attacker access to a system.

Adobe released version 6.0.2 for both affected programs to fix the flaws.  If you are using version 6 and have internet access, it will automatically ask you to update, or use the menu: help/updates.

Version 7 is now available, and unaffected by the flaw. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2677

Security threats of all kinds have increased significantly over the past year.  Phishing attacks grew 30% a month according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group. I am getting several a day now.

Can you tell a Phishing email from the real thing? Take this quiz and find out:

http://survey.mailfrontier.com/survey/quiztest.html

Reminder: sign up for the SBDC seminar on Technology Trends, Tuesday Feb. 15. To register, call our office at 733-1940, or the Small Business Development Center at 625-3051.  For more information: www.toriangroup.com/events

Scott Phillips is moving to Washington state. He is moving to be with family, and will be working in a similar job in his new location. We will miss him, and wish him well.

Tim Torian

Torian, Group, Inc.

http://www.toriangroup.com