Why is this even news?
Updates are a regular thing. Why is this even news worthy?
Microsoft is planning to release at least five critical fixes in next week's Patch Tuesday monthly security update. The company said that the planned patch release will include fixes for critical remote code execution flaws in versions of Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer, as well as Microsoft Exchange Server. Among the …
'Adobe has also set aside the second Tuesday of the year for its scheduled security updates, though the company has yet to give word on any upcoming patch releases'
Really. That would be nice actually. Seems I can't reboot a workstation without Adobe wanting attention... Can't be just me.
oh pendant alert: "Tuesday of the year" - I believe there's 52 Tuesdays per year, which one do you speak of?
;)
"If they don't fix it people complain and when they do it's still Windows."
Here's an idea...
Why don't they record what caused these holes, then train their developers to not make the holes in the first place by a)Fixing the libraries they use (if that's the problem) or b)Fixing the developers.
Because then they'd only pay them once to write the code and could work on the next version in peace.
@John Smith 19
Probably because the more that you over-plumb a piece of software, whether it be an OS or an app like Adobe Reader, the more it's a nightmare to detect and plug security holes.
There's a (small) excuse for OS's - especially windows which is a generalised OS designed for non-tech people. With Adobe and other app producing companies? I don't think they have as much excuse.
"Why don't they record what caused these holes, then train their developers to not make the holes in the first place"
They already do that - and have lots of automated tools to find vulnerabilities as well - current Microsoft OSs have far fewer security vulnerabilities with fewer days at risk than other options such as enterprise Linux distributions or OS-X....Ditto the IE browser compared to Chrome, Firefox or Safari....
Microsoft wastes good talent tweaking and changing Office when they should use the programmers' time to actually improve the security which they obviously did not work on. 2003 is just as good as latest verson of Office. The only reason they change the cosmetics are (1) to make files incompatible with old versions and (2) sell the same stuff a second time to those suckers who already own it. Open Office and Libre Office are good enough.
There may be a few places where Libre or Open office doesn't tick all the boxes but we might be better served writing documents that don't require a specific band of closed software.
I've used Open office / Libre office for years simply because I want to know I can work anywhere without being gouged or tripping over version problems.
Mind you MS have really handed the Open office people some help with the ribbon.
Drive the mentality that for any use you need "this specific bit of recognisable MS ware" then take away the gui people are used to amazingly some will wake from the MS stupor and look around "it's just software".
If you have enough mental agility to see beyond the software brand to the actual functionality you have greater freedom and more employability. In my world the ribbon has added no productivity just irritation and frustration.
People get used to (read productive) knowing set commands are in set locations, moving them or trying to work out “what is this ribbon offering me now?” breaks the mental flow and makes about as much sense as Metro on the desktop.
MS had the horse and are now busy turning it into a half-camel to prove “change is good”.