Microsoft issuing emergency "Zero day" browser fix

Microsoft Corp. has announced the release an emergency fix for a security hole in its Internet Explorer software. This "out-of-band" patch addresses a critical security vulnerability that has exposed millions of users to having their computers taken over by hackers. Current estimate indicate that nearly 1 in 500 users have been affected with a potential of nearly 1.4 million.

The "zero-day" vulnerability, which came to light last week, allows hackers to take over victims' machines after they have visited infected Web sites; users don't have to download anything for their computers to get infected, which makes the flaw in Internet Explorer's programming code so dangerous. Internet Explorer is the world's most widely used Web browser.

See Graham Cluley’s blog bog for his recommendation to "Stop viewing porn in Internet Explorer.. for now."

Updates on Microsoft Security Advisory (961051) can be found here.

Is your "IT Guy" guilty?

I found the following article by Debra Littlejohn Shinder to be rather interesting. The full article can be found here.

10 Dumb Things IT Pros Do That Can Mess Up Their Networks

October 31st, 2008
Debra Littlejohn Shinder

One of the most popular pastimes of IT professionals is complaining about the dumb things users do. We all get a laugh from articles like TechRepublic's ultimate collection of dumb user stories. But if we're honest, we have to admit that computer novices aren't the only ones who make mistakes. Most network administrators could (but probably won't) tell you about their "most embarrassing moment." That's the one where you discover you accidentally misconfigured the firewall to shut down the boss's Internet connection or that the backup you've been making every day has been copying the wrong files. Oops.

Let's take a look at some of the most common dumb things IT pros do that can mess up their networks - and how you can avoid making such mistakes yourself.

#1: Don't have a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plan
#2: Ignore warning signs
#3: Never document changes
#4: Don't waste space on logging
#5: Take your time about installing critical updates
#6: Save time and money by putting off upgrades
#7: Manage passwords sloppily
#8: Try to please all the people all of the time
#9: Don't try to please any of the people any of the time
#10: Make yourself indispensable by not training anyone else to do your job

This article reprinted courtesy of TechRepublic. Join the blog.