Microsoft Plans A Security Newsletter Grandma Might LoveMicrosoft Plans A Security Newsletter Grandma Might Love

Software security alerts are often cluttered with information only the tech-obsessed would love. Phrases like buffer overflow and exploit are lost on the average person. So, Microsoft says it's going to publish a new security bulletin designed to be more transparent. The E-mail newsletter is due this month.

The threat of poorly secured home and small-business computers can't be overstated. While many corporate security systems thwart common viruses, the code proliferates wildly on home and small-business systems. And with the increasing pervasiveness of broadband home access, it's home and small-business users whose systems could be used to launch attacks against big businesses, experts say. For example, a few thousand cable-modem users whose systems became infected with "zombies" could be used to launch a distributed denial-of-service attack against any Internet-connected company or computer, potentially knocking it offline for hours or days.

"Anything that can be done to increase security awareness is a good thing," says Pete Lindstrom, research director at SpireSecurity. "I'd give Microsoft extra credit for this."

The security newsletter is an addition to Microsoft's existing Security Update newsletter, which the company says has more than 300,000 subscribers.

More information about the newsletter is available at Microsoft's Web site.