Microsoft Corp said yesterday it had been working on improving its network security, two days after it warned that its Windows operating system could be vulnerable to attacks by hackers.
The software giant will also unveil an upgraded Windows XP2 operating system by the end of this year, the head of the company's Taiwanese branch said yesterday.
"We launched an initiative to advance our product security in 2002, and we are still on the way toward the goal of the program," Eunice Chiu (
Microsoft on Tuesday said a critical vulnerability in its operating systems, including Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, left the systems open to attacks by hackers.
While no computers were reported to have been compromised by the security flaw so far, problems over the security of its products have haunted Microsoft for years.
With the Windows operating system prevalent, making it the favorite target for computer hackers, some notorious worms such as"Blaster," "Sobig" and, most recently, "Mydoom" have caused considerable damage worldwide and raised awareness of online security.
Microsoft has begun issuing monthly scheduled security patches for its software. But because many customers are still reluctant to apply the patches it offers on its Web site, Chiu said the company is working to reduce the defects in its systems. Windows XP2, which is scheduled to hit the market by the end of this year, is an example of the fruits of this effort, Chiu said.
This year, Microsoft Taiwan will invest NT$15 million in a talent cultivation plan, which aims foster more than 1,000 local information-technology professionals, she said. Besides providing internships to 97 college students, Microsoft has donated software and other services to 12 colleges, she said.
Microsoft reported net income of US$1.55 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, up 19 percent from the previous quarter but down from US$1.87 billion year earlier.
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