Get-the-patches day

Yesterday was Safer Internet Day (everywhere but in the US, it seems); today might be called Safer PC Day. Microsoft has just released "a dozen software updates to fix 16 security flaws - half of which it deemed 'critical' - in all versions of the Windows operating system," the Washington Post reports. So, on your family PC(s), if patch-downloading isn't automatic or if that little icon didn't pop up telling you some patching's needed, be sure to go to Windows Update to get all the new patches (if you use a browser other than Explorer, go here). They defend your PC from viruses, worms, phishers, They fix vulnerable spots in MSN Messenger (MS's IM software that's very popular with teens), Windows, Explorer, Windows Media Player, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they fight viruses, worms, phishers, and other hacks and exploits. "Half of the vulnerabilities [the patches fix] require action by a user - such as clicking a link in an e-mail or opening a document attachment - before attackers could gain control of a computer," the Post adds. So tell your kids: Be extremely careful about clicking on links and attachments in emails, and ideally ask the sender what it's about. If they don't answer, don't click."