Under a new program, Microsoft is paying for security assessments of its customers' networks to help improve policies in areas such as software patch management and assuage fears about the security risks posed by Microsoft products. The Microsoft Patch Assurance Security Service was started in late 2003. As part of the program, Microsoft is offering free security audits to all of its enterprise customers and paying for the services of third party security consultants, including Internet Security Systems Inc., to do the audits, according to interviews with those involved in the program.

In many cases, Microsoft's patch management products and services, including Systems Management Server (SMS) and Software Update Services (SUS), are recommended to customers as part of the audit, interviewees said. Figures on the total cost of the Patch Assurance Security Service were not available, but it is an extensive program to reach out to Microsoft's entire enterprise customer base, defined as customers with 500 or more Windows desktops, said Peter Noelle, a partner account manager at Microsoft in Atlanta.

News source: InfoWorld

    Changelog
  • made MP4 AAC the new default ripping encoder
  • fixed a crash bug when playing some AVI files in in_dshow
  • added multimedia keyboard keys in global hotkeys default configuration
  • added "Manual playlist advance" in Repeat button popup menu in Classic mode
  • improvements in MP3 encoder configuration (added --alt-preset standard, etc...)
  • made the tabs in the preferences XP correctly themed under Windows XP
  • revamped the Media Library preferences a bit
  • new experimental WMA9 input plugin
  • gen_jumpex updates from DrO
  • added "Nuke library" action in Media Library
  • more upside down videos fixes
  • fixed crash if a plugin generated a pledit wm_windowposchanged on shutdown
  • fixed crash exploit in in_mod (thanks Peter Winter-Smith)
  • fixed various crashes in in_midi when playing invalid files
  • made in_midi store its settings in winamp.ini instead of the registry
  • fixed error during installation on computers with chinese/oriental regional settings
  • removed AOD from installer
  • added Shift-R to toggle manual playlist advance
  • updated VP6 video decoder to latest VP6.2 code
  • fixed crash when launching winamp with very long filenames from explorer
  • made registration dialog to appear in Explorer's taskbar when installing pro verion
  • fixed pledit/video windows showing up at startup when minimized
      modern skins updates:
    • winamp modern skin now uses a 3 state repeat button: no repeat/repeat all/repeat track
    • added appplication desktop toolbars capabilities for layouts, add
      appbar="left|top|right|bottom" to use them
    • upped maki binary version, improved stack protection
    • current skin version number is 1.2 (this should not change for a long while now, and of course we continue to support 0.8 to 1.1)
    • (very) limited maki debugger (for now you can bring it up with invokeDebugger(); in a script then use 'x' to continue and 'i' to trace into)
    • fixed obscure capture problem with dragging windows
    • fixed rectrgn being forced to 1 in xml xuiobject buttons that are originally imageless
    • fixed hilited state not on after clicking on buttons while the mouse stays in area
    • fixed scripted onEnterArea/onLeaveArea not being always correctly called while mouse button stays down
    • fixed getToken being passed NULL throwing guru
    • fixed clipping of painting within the background's region of a group rather than
      within the composed region (the one you can change with sysregion)
    • fixed image cache problem when using the same bitmap as a map and a button image parameter


There are 7 additional comments
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(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by Sn1p3t on 26 Mar 2004 - 05:25
Seems like a good step towards a large Microsoft server dominance.
Quote this comment #1.1 Posted by LPC on 26 Mar 2004 - 07:52
I'm sure some saddo's will sue'm for doing this. But to me it sounds like a nice idea why don't all the other buggers get to it also .
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by aldo on 26 Mar 2004 - 08:08
Wow, Red Carpet can do this for free on Linux. Just shows you how much Microsoft is struggling to get a bigger foothold in the server arena...
(3 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #3 Posted by Gary_Player on 26 Mar 2004 - 09:11
So would they pay me if i "patched" their little messenger service problem by disabling it on every computer I ever sat down at?
Quote this comment #3.1 Posted by Fally on 26 Mar 2004 - 16:18
Did you even read the article? I doubt it.
Quote this comment #3.2 Posted by Gary_Player on 27 Mar 2004 - 01:47
Not if its as lame as it sounds no
Quote this comment #3.3 Posted by JaggedFlame on 27 Mar 2004 - 07:38
If you think it sounds lame, why did you bother posting your stupid-ass reply?
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