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One of the biggest security updates for more than a year is being released by Microsoft to fix 12 software flaws.

Nine of the updates apply to the Windows operating system and one is deemed critical, a rating reserved for the most serious security problems.

At least one of the loopholes being patched is already being actively exploited by malicious hackers.

Windows users are being urged to download the patches as soon as they become available on Tuesday 13 June.

Support shift

Microsoft issues its security patches on the second Tuesday of every month and June’s update will be the biggest for more than a year.

This is because Microsoft is not only tackling security problems but also the fallout of a legal case that the software giant lost.

Microsoft gives advance notice of what is in its security patches to help companies plan how best to install the software and limit the impact on day-to-day business.

While most of the updates apply to Windows, two are for the Office suite of products and one for the Exchange e-mail server software.

One of the security problems being tackled in Office was found in Microsoft’s Word software and the virus created to exploit it has been dubbed Backdoor.Ginwui. The virus and loophole were first discovered in mid-May.

The virus travels in an e-mail bearing a Word document that purports to summarise the results of a US-Asia summit.

Chris Leckness (3530 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.