Windows XP Service Pack 2 Released for Home, Delayed for Pro
Microsoft has finally released the Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Home users, but users of the Professional version will have to wait a little while longer. The Redmond behemoth is giving companies that use the corporate-targeted pro version a chance to do further testing before rolling out the update enterprise-wide. A wise choice, since XPSP2 represents a substantial operating system upgrade.
In other news, the much-ballyhooed upgrade to Windows’ built-in firewall included in SP2 turns out to be something of a half-measure. It successfully blocks unauthorized incoming data, but fails to require permission for programs to send data to the internet. The distinction between these two types of protection and the serious security consequences of Microsoft’s failure to provide both are detailed in the above-linked article.
(citations: Watching Microsoft Like a Hawk, via Photo Matt)
