The latest "Patch Tuesday" brought us lots of patches supposed to fix security vulnerabilities discovered in Microsoft's products, including here Microsoft Office for Windows and for Mac, Windows, OneCare, Antigen and Windows Defender. Microsoft said that four of the patched vulnerabilities are critical, a fact that underlines, once again, the need for applying the newly-released patches.

Although the Redmond-based software firm Microsoft has always encouraged users to apply the latest patches, security companies around the world are also stressing out the severity of the security glitches, urging vulnerable users to download the fixes as well.

Sophos is one of the security companies that have warned both Microsoft and Apple users that leaving security holes unpatched may have serious consequences over their computers, explaining that some attackers are especially struggling to exploit the vulnerabilities discovered in Microsoft's software solutions. Moreover, Sophos warned that the critical vulnerabilities discovered in the Microsoft products could allow an attacker to deploy malicious software on an unpatched system, run malicious code samples or even take over the control of the system.

"As can be seen by this month's bunch of updates, Microsoft security patches aren't just important for Windows users. Apple business users would be wise to take heed of them too," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "As internet criminals become more organized and financially-motivated, it is more important than ever to ensure that your business is properly defended with the latest patches."

And yes, patching and applying the latest fixes for the software programs installed on your computer is an important security measure because today's hackers are especially looking for open doors to infiltrate into your computers, software flaws being one of the easiest methods to do that.

If you want to read more info about the latest Patch Tuesday, check out this article.