From OrganicDesign Wiki
1 Windows Updates (long version)
- 25 August 2005
As you may be aware, many virus threats lurk on the Internet for the Windows computer user. While we do our best to ensure the customers' computers leave our workshop prepared for safe and secure Internet browsing, there are some simple things you can do to keep your computer up-to-date and ready to handle the flood of nasties that try to wreak havoc on your system.
First off, to know why computer viruses exist it is important to understand that large software packages are incredibly complex, with many small programs (processes) working in parallel to accomplish various tasks and accessing the resources of the computer to do their work, such as the memory (RAM) or the processor (CPU). No one programmer could honestly say they fully understand all the ins and outs of a program like Norton Antivirus, let alone Microsoft Windows. This is further complicated by the fact that these companies hide the programming code (the source code) of their software to protect their trade secrets and technologies from competitors.
Behind the scenes there is a sizeable army of computer hackers and virus programmers trying to figure out how to outsmart virus scanning software and so-called firewalls that normally keep unwanted visitors from the Internet off your computer.
These people are motivated by various things. Some do it just for the sheer challenge or because they enjoy writing viruses, others do it for bragging rights. A sizeable proportion of hackers and virus writers bear grudges with companies like Microsoft or Symantec (the creators of the popular Norton Antivirus Suite) because they may not agree with the ideologies of these companies or because they want to prove that the software these companies sell is poorly programmed and overpriced.
What this amounts to is an arms race of sorts where the companies themselves or the hackers will publish on the Internet the latest vulnerabilities they have discovered, which are essentially weak points of the software, like a particular command that could give a hacker control of another computer through an Internet connection, say.
In response to these newly discovered flaws, Microsoft releases so-called windows updates (software patches), literally the equivalent of plasters designed to close newly discovered security holes in the Windows operating system. To keep your Windows up-to-date with these patches if you run Windows XP Home or Professional, you can enable automatic updates via the security center button which you can access by clicking on the start button and then control panel.
If you use an older version of Windows, like Windows 98 or 2000, you can click on the start button and then the Windows Update button, which will take you to the windows update website by Microsoft. Your Windows will be analysed so that the website can tell you which updates you need and then you can select which updates you wish to download and install.
On the Web: www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
2 Windows Updates (Hauraki Herald version - 250 words)
As you may be aware, many virus threats lurk on the Internet for the Windows computer user. While we do our best to ensure the customers' computers leave our workshop prepared for safe and secure Internet browsing, there are some simple things you can do to keep your computer up-to-date and ready to handle the flood of nasties that try to wreak havoc on your system.
Some viruses and other malicious software can gain access to computers through weak points in the Windows operating system itself, bypassing even up-to-date virus scanners and anti ad-ware programs. Due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet and technological advances, a lot of these Windows weaknesses only become apparent over time.
In response to these newly discovered flaws, Microsoft regularly releases so-called Windows Updates (software patches), literally the equivalent of plasters designed to close newly discovered security holes in the Windows operating system.
To keep your Windows up-to-date with these patches if you run Windows XP Home or Professional, you can enable automatic updates via the security center button which you can access by clicking on the start button and then control panel.
If you use an older version of Windows, like Windows 98 or 2000, you can click on the start button and then the Windows Update button, which will take you to the windows update website by Microsoft. Your Windows will be analysed so that the website can tell you which updates you need and then you can select which updates you wish to download and install.
On the Web: www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
3 See Also
