This is your latest computer security briefing, so keep this column and do the updates now, for tomorrow you'll put off doing if for another month... or longer... when it's too late.

Since none of us seems to have time in the information age, at least do the major service pack update released for Office XP and Office 2000.

This month Microsoft released three new patches for vulnerabilities in its software, including MSN Messenger 6.0 and 6.1, Outlook 2002 and Windows Media Services 4.1. The first patch closes a vulnerability in MSN Messenger that could let an attacker view the contents of a target's hard drive during a chat session. The second patch fixes a flaw in Outlook 2002 that could allow a hacker to take over a system by executing Internet Explorer code.

The third patch fixes a flaw in the Windows Media Services component of Windows 2000. The flaw allows attackers to use a server for a denial-of-service attack against other servers running the software.

Users of Office XP and Office 2000 should also note that Microsoft has released an update (called Service Pact 3 or SP3 for short) for the software earlier this month. SP3 contains “significant” security enhancements, in addition to fixes improving Office's stability and performance, according to Microsoft. The service pack applies to any level of Office XP.

Those who neglected to implement the earlier updates will be pleased to know SP3 contains all updates included in Office XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Office XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), and updates released after SP2. Note that when installing SP3, you may be prompted to insert one or more of your original Office XP's CD-ROMs.

If you do not have access to the original discs you should install the full file version of SP3, which is also available at the Microsoft site.

All the patches and other updates are available at Microsoft's Windows Update, Office Update and the Download Centre sections of www.microsoft.com. Run the online checking feature to determine if your software is already up-to-date before downloading the updates.

You should also note that there have been complaints from those who have installed the update that it is now blocking several popular spam filters.

The problem stems from SP3's security fixes for Office's e-mail client, Outlook. Users report that every time their spam filter tries to intercept a message, Outlook pop ups a warning message that another application was trying to access Outlook's address book.

The warning messages don't stop either the spam filter or Outlook from working, but are a tiresome annoyance for e-mail users.

Microsoft and the spam filter providers are working to address the problem. Check at the site of your spam filter maker for an update if you need one.

Those who use Norton AntiSpam by Symantec may also experience a software incompatibility with SP3. Symantec says it has received reports of the Outlook toolbar freezing when a user tries to reclassify the spam rating of a message. Symantec is also promising to release a patch to address the problem. The updates and patches are available at www.microsoft.com under the ‘Windows Update', ‘Office Update' and ‘Downloads' sections. The site will scan your computer to determine what updates you need.

@EDITRULE:

The Bagle.B net worm is the third most virulent in the history of security attacks on computers through the Internet. Three new variants of Bagle were discovered over the weekend. All three versions attempt to bypass detection by anti-virus software. Previous versions arrived with an attached encrypted Zip file with a password included in the e-mail text.

The three new versions produce the password in the form of a graphic or picture file in a bid to thwart the anti-virus scans. Anti-virus companies say the trick will not work.

A removal tool if you are unfortunate enough to have picked up Bagle is available at McAfee at http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger. The McAfee Avert Stinger utility will also remove about 35 other viruses or worms if you have them on your computer.

Do an online scan first at McAfee if you do not have anti-virus software. For the record the most dangerous computer bug is Mydoom.A followed by Sobig.F. Mydoom.

A reached a peak infection rate of one in 12 e-mails. The Sobig.F virus, which struck in August, 2003, had a peak infection rate of one in 17 e-mails. Bagle.B has reached an infection rate of one in every 16 e-mails worldwide, according to MessageLabs.

@EDITRULE:

Statistics to make you worried: After having worked in some offices where the concept of hand soap does not seem to exist, I can believe this research gut wrenching study by the University of Arizona. Some of the findings: a workstation is capable of supporting ten million bacteria and the average office contains 20,961 germs per square inch; telephones can harbour up to 25,127 germs per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice 1,676. Meanwhile the average toilet seat contains 49 germs per square inch, the survey showed. Bring your own sterilised wipes to the office would be the right response to the study.

@EDITRULE:

Contact Ahmed at editoroffshoreon.com if you have any comments.