Microsoft fixes massive 99 security flaws in Patch Tuesday update

Ironically enough, only one day after this year’s Safer Internet Day, comes one of Microsoft’s biggest ever ‘Patch Tuesdays’, fixing a whopping 99 security vulnerabilities. So to quickly condense this article, update your Windows computer now.

And for those that are interested here’s a little more information…

What is Patch Tuesday?

Patch Tuesday is the name given to when many companies, most notably Microsoft, release a number of updates for its software. This is to prevent only a small number of updates happening frequently. Such updates can include security fixes as well as other non-security related updates. It is typically on the second Tuesday of the month, though it is possible that other types of updates can happen at other times of the month.

Why is this Patch Tuesday important?

Because it contains a large number of security fixes – far more than what is normal. This demonstrates that there are a number of important security issues in Windows that need fixing before they are exploited by crooks, and as such it is vital the updates are applied straight away. Some of these updates are rated critical. More on that next.

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What specifically is in this set of updates?

There are 99 vulnerabilities being fixed this Patch Tuesday, which is far more than normal.

Of those 99, 12 are rated critical. Critical is the highest rating on the “danger” scale, and means the flaw is very serious. This could mean, for example, that the vulnerability is expected to be exploited by crooks in the near future, or the vulnerability would allow crooks to do substantial damage to a device.

Of those 12 critical patches, four vulnerabilities have been publicly disclosed, meaning crooks will know what they are and as such can start devising ways to exploit them.

And a further one vulnerability has been classified as a zero-day vulnerability, meaning crooks are actively exploiting it already, before a fix has been released. It affects Internet Explorer, but even users who have now migrated to the Microsoft Edge browser could still be affected.

Should I do anything before I do the updates?

As usual, we recommend making sure your current backup is, well, current. So in the unlikely event something does go wrong, you don’t lose those important files.

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Who needs to update?

Many of the bugs affect all supported versions of Windows, so everyone needs to update. Many of the vulnerabilities also affect Windows 7, but since that operating system fell out of the support cycle last month, those users are now on their own (unless they’re Professional/Enterprise users paying for extended support.) So even more reason to upgrade.

How do I update?

Your computer is probably already bugging you to update. The Shut Down dialogue box probably shows a Update and Restart option. Alternatively, in Windows 10, click the Start button, click the gear icon and select the Update and Security option. There should be an option to restart and update in there. In Windows 8.1, open the Charms bar, select Settings and then Update & Recovery and then Windows Update.