Microsoft releases two new security utilities

August 17, 2001

Nearly a month after the first outbreak of the "Code Red" worm, Microsoft released two new security tools designed to help systems administrators and users keep their systems up to date and protected. The infamous "Code Red" worm was designed specifically to compromise computers running Microsoft's Web server software.

The worm was able to infect systems because hundreds of thousands of servers hadn't been patched with a security fix. Many users weren't keeping their security patches up to date.

Microsoft and Shavlik Technologies LLC co-operated to create two free utilities, HFNetChk and Microsoft Personal Security Advisor (MPSA), designed to help users identify and get the patches they need.

HFNetChk is a tool that scans the status of all machines on a network, checking their patches. As a result the tool generates a report on which patches need to be applied to what machines. MPSA is designed to help home users and small businesses.

MPSA is a scanning script, that resides on a Web site and does not require to be downloaded. To check for security patches users just have to go to the MPSA Web site and click the "Scan Now" button. The tool delivers a list of available patches, as well as recommendations on how to improve security. The program scans only Windows NT™ 4.0 or Windows 2000™ computer systems.