Computer Security Alert!

Windows and Word:
Yesterday Microsoft released 12 individual security patches addressing several critical problems in Windows along with other less serious issues. The "critical" designation remains the highest maximum severity rating for Windows bulletins issued by Microsoft. The software maker also distributed a fix for the so-called zero-day flaw present in Microsoft Word and a critical glitch in Internet Explorer that relates to the manner in which the Web browser handles ActiveX controls. The vulnerability in Word has already been exploited in targeted attacks launched from China and Taiwan. So, get your updates now and install as soon as possible.

Yahoo Mail:
A new worm, dubbed the "Yamanner worm" has exploited a Javascript vulnerability in Yahoo! Mail. According to a statement from Yahoo a very small fraction of its base of over 200 million accounts (which ranks as the world's highest) is infected by the worm. While security firms such as Trend Micro and McAfee rated the virus as having a low threat level, Symantec called it an "elevated threat". According to Symantec the Yamanner worm targets all versions of Yahoo email accounts except the latest beta version and users might be able to protect themselves by upgrading to the latest test version of Yahoo! Mail. Yesterday, in another statement, Yahoo Inc. said it could contain the malicious program and no further threat exists for the time being.