Just before Valentine's Day, Microsoft will deliver its security patches by the dozen. The security bulletins will address vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, Visual Studio, and across the company's security products. No less than four of the security patches will be rated as critical, according to the data provided by Microsoft via the Security Bulletin Advance Notification.

The Redmond Company announced that it plans to release five patches for Windows, with the maximum severity rating as critical. Two security updates for Office and one affecting Microsoft Data Access Components have also been cataloged as critical.

Additionally, the Redmond juggernaut will also release a security bulletin impacting Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft Antigen, Microsoft Windows Defender, Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint, also with a Critical rating. Microsoft also estimates that it will release three Important security bulletins addressing vulnerabilities in Windows and Visual Studio, Office and the step-by-Step Interactive Training.

Traditionally, the Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification corresponds to the letter with the actual releases that the company will make available. January was an exception to this rule. The updates presented herein are scheduled to be made available on February 13, 2007.

Moreover, the Redmond Company informed that it will make available 10 non-security high-priority updates via Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Software Update Services, and Windows Server Update Services.

Microsoft made no additional details related to the February Security Bulletins available at this time, but some of the January patches appear to be included in the February patch release.