Whenever Microsoft publishes a security update, especially for a highly publicized and obviously widespread security breach, thousands of people will not immediately download update.

In fact, tens-of-thousands of users will not download these security updates for days, weeks, even months (if ever).

So let me ask what seems like a very elementary question: By publishing security updates that point out very obvious flaws in their system, doesn't Microsoft also point way to exactly where holes exist?

Let me put it another way.

Doesn't this rate same as discovering that local bank vault won't lock and then announcing details on front page of paper along with dates and times no bank guard will be on duty?

After all, if tens-of-thousands of users won't immediately get Microsoft Security Patch, don't those patches show hackers exactly which holes get plugged (and which, logically, must already be open without patch)?

It doesn't take a hacker with more than a basic set of skills to recognize where and what holes got fixed and then reverse-engineer how they can get into computers that don't get updated.

Now, do I have a concrete, 100% bullet-proof answer to this problem? Unfortunately, I don't have more than a common- sense answer...

At this point, your best defense rates staying current on latest threats and how to defend against them.

Keep your anti-virus software current, your firewall up, and your Windows software updated with latest security patches.

Though not a perfect solution, at least you'll have a fighting chance to prevent, or at least minimize, any possible threats.

For more information from Microsoft's website, go here http://www.ebookfire.com/download-ject.html

The second blog we manage is at:

http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html

This blog is less formal and contains marketing tips, or promotional advice for software developers or online marketers. We found that we had overflow from our monthly newsletter. Generating a daily blog would require very little effort and would assist us in creating fresh content which our readers told us was of significant interest.

The third blog is a combination of both styles and contains tips for small businesses. The small business blog is located at:

http://www.small-business-software.net

Blogs & Your Business

The bottom line is you need to determine how a blog will benefit your business, determine a schedule and adhere to it. Let your readers know what to expect and when to expect it. Blogs provide great supplemental content and direct attention to areas of your business that you want to showcase; you direct content but let your readers guide you.

Creating a Blog

There are numerous online tools that can be used to create a blog. We found that because of security concerns, it would just be best to use a standard html program. In our case we used Dreamweaver and create daily posts. It's really not much more complicated than typing an email. The content is then sent via FTP to a web server. If you want to test waters there are online web-based tools that help you publish to web instantly. The most popular web-based tool is likely Blogger http://www.blogger.com.

Other Advantages to Blogs

While you may initially create a blog for your existing customers, you may find that you can attract new customers by illustrating your expertise in a specific field. There are numerous websites that act as "blog search engines". Be sure to submit your sites to these websites to increase your exposure. This will also help with your page rank and possibly increase likelihood you will receive decent ranking with Google. You can also create an RSS feed in order to syndicate blog content and gain additional exposure.