14 DAY TRIAL // Windows customers will need to get ready and deploy security patches come next week, with the exception of users that have already upgraded to the latest iteration of the client. Microsoft is readying a total of six security bulletins for release on November 10, 2009, no less than four of them targeting Windows releases. However, while older releases of Windows will need to be patched, the same is not valid for Windows 7 (read the Windows 7 Softpedia Review).
Since the successor of Windows Vista was released to manufacturing on July 22nd, 2009, Microsoft has included the operating system among the products updated each month through its patch cycle. The fact that next week, the Redmond company will not be releasing patches for Windows 7 means that the platform is not affected by any of the vulnerabilities that the security bulletins are designed to resolve.
“To help customers plan and prioritize for this month’s security updates, we wanted to let you know that we will be releasing 6 bulletins (three critical and three important) addressing 15 vulnerabilities, affecting Windows and Microsoft Office products. Customers should plan a restart for the Windows bulletins. The Office bulletins may not require a restart if the components being updated are not in use,” revealed Jerry Bryant, Microsoft security program manager.
But while Windows 7 users will be able to let the November security patches slid on by, the same is not valid for customers running Windows XP and Windows Vista, including those that have deployed the latest service packs for the two platforms. XP Sp3 and Vista SP2 will both receive one Critical and one Important security update each on November 10. “The target release day is next Tuesday Nov. 10 at 10:00 a.m. PST (UTC -8),” Bryant added.