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BOSTON (Reuters) - Discovery of the Flame virus that mainlyaffected computers in the Middle East, has prompted Microsoft Corpto strengthen the security of a Windows program that helpscustomers secure their PCs and update software. Mike Reavey, senior director of the Microsoft Security ResponseCenter, said in a blog post that the world's biggest software makerplans to boost security measures on the Windows Update softwarethat is included with the operating system that runs the majorityof the world's PCs. Microsoft disclosed over the weekend that the hackers who builtFlame exploited a flaw in Windows that allowed them to trick PCsinto believing it was a legitimate piece of software fromMicrosoft. The software was then downloaded onto computers usingthe Microsoft Update feature. News of the Flame virus surfaced a week ago when cyber securityexperts described it as one of the most sophisticated pieces ofmalicious software discovered to date. They are still investigatingthe virus, which they believe was released specifically to targetcomputers in Iran and across the Middle East, similar to theStuxnet worm that attacked Iran's nuclear program in 2010. The security experts said Flame likely only infected severalthousand computers and was targeted at entities that would be ofinterest to nations involved in espionage. Microsoft said on its website on Sunday that it was releasingsoftware to fix the bug using its Windows Update system. Butsecurity experts said machines infected with some advanced virusesmay not benefit from that update because those viruses had disabledthe Windows Update software. That is partially what prompted the need to further boost thesecurity of the Windows Update feature, they said. "If Microsoft is going to 'harden' the update feature, they mustalso prevent writers of malicious software from disabling theupdating process on local computers," said John Bumgarner, chieftechnology officer of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, anon-profit think-tank that studies the impact of cyber warfare. Microsoft disclosed the plan to boost security of Windows Updatelate Monday on a Microsoft Security Response Center blog:blogs.technet.com/b/msrc/ Company officials could not immediately be reached to elaborate onTuesday morning. Yet Reavey said in a blog posted on Sunday that it was taking theflaw in Windows seriously because the bug could be exploited bydevelopers of less sophisticated viruses to launch more widespreadattacks. Microsoft declined to say whether such attacks have already takenplace. (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Maureen Bavdek). I am an expert from al2o3-ceramic.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Big Green Egg Oven , Metal Ceramic Tube, Zirconia Knife,and more.
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