[IS&T Security-FYI] SFYI Newsletter, September 19, 2011

[Monique Yeaton]

In this issue:

1. Microsoft Security Updates for September 2011
2. Adobe Patches for Reader and Acrobat
3. Windows 8 Has 'Tons' of Security Features
4. Social Networking Safety Tips

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1. Microsoft Security Updates for September 2011
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Last week Tuesday Microsoft released multiple patches to fix vulnerabilities in the following systems:

 * Microsoft Windows
 * Microsoft Office
 * Microsoft Server Software

Microsoft published five bulletins categorized as "important" to close 15 holes. Most of the bulletins fix vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office, which attackers can use to inject malicious code and escalate rights. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could execute arbitrary code, cause a denial of service, or gain unauthorized access to your files or system. The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool also received current virus signatures. It is recommended to take the patches as they become available. The updates were released by MIT WAUS last week.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary:
< http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms11-sep >


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2. Adobe Patches for Reader and Acrobat
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September 13 was also Adobe's patch day. The company's patches closed critical holes in all currently maintained versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat both for Windows and Mac.

See the bulletin for information on the updates and to access the latest downloads:
< http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb11-24.html >


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3. Windows 8 Has 'Tons' of Security Features
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According to a recent article in the Register, Microsoft's new operating system Windows 8 (still in Beta) will include several new security features, such as built-in virus protection that scans boot drives for malware. There is also built-in spam filtering.

You can view a video of last week's presentation at the company's BUILD conference in Anaheim, California as well as the full article here:
< http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/14/windows_8_bundles_antivirus/ >


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4. Social Networking Safety Tips
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This month's "OUCH!" newsletter by the SANS Institute (sans.org) covers social networking sites such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The newsletter covers the risks and how to use these sites safely.

The English version can be downloaded here (pdf):
< http://www.securingthehuman.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201109_en.pdf >


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Monique Yeaton
IT Security Communications Consultant
Information Services & Technology, MIT
http://ist.mit.edu/security