YOU may have missed it but last Tuesday was a red letter day for software patches.

Microsoft’s latest monthly update included fixes for three “critical” flaws in its Windows and Word software that could allow hackers to take over your computers. Apple announced a patch to tackle security problems with Tiger, the latest version of its Macintosh operating system. And the organisation behind Firefox, the web browser that has been winning converts from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, urged users to download a fix for a dozen recently identified vulnerabilities. The Mozilla Foundation said some were “high-risk” holes that could allow attackers to take control of a computer or gain access to its data.

There are a couple of points to make here. First, I wonder how long BMW’s reputation would survive if every few weeks it had to recall its cars to fix “critical vulnerabilities”.

Software may be inevitably complex but given the stakes involved, including the integrity of your information and the smooth running of your business, customers have a right to expect better.

The second point is that this is not solely a Microsoft problem. Microsoft takes lots of flak for the help that Windows inadvertently gives to hackers and virus-writers. The ubiquity of Windows makes it an obvious target for the malevolent.

In different ways, Apple and Firefox have attracted enthusiastic communities of users, partly based on the perception that their products are more secure.

Internet security firms such as Symantec, which sells Norton AntiVirus, have identified about 140,000 viruses designed to attack Windows. In contrast, the first “Trojan” aimed at Apple was discovered only in April, but even this was a design concept not released “in the wild”.

However, Firefox, which offers “tabbed” browsing and other user-friendly features, is struggling to sustain the reputation for security it established as it gained popularity.

Mike Nash, Microsoft’s corporate vice-president for security, gleefully illustrates the monthly tally of security updates with sachets of sugar. Since February, Mozilla has had to pour an enormous amount of “sugar” on Firefox to keep its product sweet.

Nash played a part in persuading Bill Gates to recognise the importance of “trustworthy computing”, an initiative Microsoft’s founder said was the company’s highest priority when launching it three years ago.

Nash said Microsoft had made substantial progress, particularly with last year’s release of Service Pack 2 (SP2), an important update for the Windows XP version of the operating system. SP2, downloaded 220m times already, addressed many of the most irritating security gripes with Windows.

Ensuring that your software patches are up to date and that you have adequate anti-virus protection is vital. It is easily overlooked in small companies, where there is no dedicated IT manager and where there are always other, seemingly more pressing, issues. That won’t be the case when you cannot access your customer records, or your e-mail system stops working.

The most vulnerable are those companies still running earlier version of Windows. Surprisingly, Nash says half of all PC users are still on Windows 95 or 98. These ageing systems just cannot deal with modern worms.

For more advice, visit www.staysafeonline.info, a website backed by many of the biggest technology companies.

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