Microsoft will issue eight security updates this patch Tuesday to patch problems in Windows Internet Explorer 8, Direct X, ISA, Excel, Word, and security software.

Microsoft rates the IE and Excel fixes as critical The IE update will patch all the supported versions of the browser ( IE 5.0, 6 & 7). The excel patch will fix the vulnerability that hackers tapped into a couple months back that allowed them todeliver a Trojan horse to targeted machines. The Trojan acts as a downloader that is capable of retrieving and installing additional malware on the hijacked computer. The patch will fix excel versions 2000, 2002, 2003 & 2007.

According to Microsoft, three of the Windows updates are also deemed critical, meaning a hacker could take advantage of the flaws they patch to run unauthorized software on a PC. The ISA patch is rated important; an attacker could use this bug to crash a system and the other two Windows flaws could be used to elevate privileges to gain access to unauthorized resources on the PC.

To ensure that your systems are up-to-date MTI Tech Solutions recommends installing the latest set of patches as soon as possible.

* Please note, not all machines are equipped for the updates; similarly some software programs like Oracle & QuickBooks can be rendered inoperable due to the patch install.  Contact MTI today to schedule your on-site visit today!