Microsoft has announced a critical patch to Windows that should be installed ASAP (it may not be loaded for another 2 weeks if you let your software do it automatically).

If any of your systems use:

• Windows 2000;
• Windows XP; or
• Windows 2003 Server

... then the update is "critical".

If you use:

• Windows Vista; or
• Windows Server 2008

... then the update is merely "important".

Basically, there is a vulnerability that attackers have been using to launch attacks that can allow them to gain complete control of a system, even without any user interactions.

You could be vulnerable if you have Windows File and Print Sharing turned on, which is typically done to allow computers to access a printer attached to another computer on the same network.

Don't worry too much about the technical details - just make sure you get your Windows systems updated by going to the Microsoft Windows Update site.

For such important updates, I encourage people not to implicitly trust update links in emails such as this one. It's better to go to the www.microsoft.com website, and search for windows upate, or click on the Windows Update menu option from your Start menu in Windows. This way, you don't get fooled by phishing attacks that try to emulate this type of bulletin.

But if you are really lazy and you don't mind taking the risk, copy and paste the URL below into your browser address bar:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsupdate

Have a great weekend.

- Scott