Pavlov Scope

The fixes recently released from Microsoft include important updates to Windows Media Player (many versions). It is very important to update your computer(s) accordingly. The best route (if you haven’t already configured it) is to setup Automatic Updates in Windows. Or, you can manually go to the Windows update site every month or so. The Automatic method is the best, however, because it is a “set it and forget it” option that elminiates the manual step of visiting the website.

I have tested and installed these fixes in both my test environment and my workplace divisions without troubles.

It is important to install these latest updates because just a couple days after the patches were released (as is the case for nearly all patches), malicious hackers have reverse-engineered the patches to determine what “holes” were plugged. Accordingly, they have written exploit code that takes advantages of those flaws on unpatched machines – don’t let your computer be an unpatched (read:vulnerable) computer. Most XP Service Pack 2 machines have auto-updates already configured, but for users of older versions of Windows (XP original, Windows 2000, etc.) need to manually configure these updates.

Also – I CANNOT OVERSTRESS the need to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. Most such programs have automatic update features, so please take advantage of them.

Many stastical studies have shown that most Windows users do not keep their computers up-to-date; be the exception and you will be a harder target (that is, most exploits will attack the easiest – soft – targets).