Microsoft issues latest security warnings

Just when we thought we'd go a week without one, we get four...

Microsoft has issued four security bulletins overnight, relating to its Windows operating system and SQL Server database software. The software giant has warned that a bug in a Windows help file could let a hacker seize control of a person's computer. The bug affects most currently supported versions of Windows: 98, 98 Second Edition, Millennium Edition, XP, NT 4, NT 4 Terminal Server Edition and 2000. Microsoft reported two separate problems with the help file system, which warranted issuing a "critical" alert. Microsoft also issued two "moderate" alerts, one identifying two separate security bugs involving compressed files and the other three problems with Microsoft's Services for Unix 3. A fourth critical alert advised of a cumulative patch for protecting SQL Server 7 and 2000 from hackers. Click here to read about the flaws in full: http://www.silicon.com/a55816 Microsoft has taken security more seriously since Chairman Bill Gates issued a memo in January resetting the company's priorities. Gates said the company must focus more on security than on the addition of features to software. On Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent a memo to customers explaining the ways the company is trying to lower the number of bugs in its software. But he conceded "a sad truth about software: Any code of significant scope and power will have bugs in it." The latest warnings bring to 57 the number of security alerts issued by Microsoft so far this year. Joe Wilcox writes for News.com