Apple last week released thirteen "highly critical" patches to fix security flaws in the current Macintosh operating system, Mac OS X.

	WEEKLY REPORTS Solutions, Prevention & Remedies Top 10 Threats

The patches -- which apply to recent versions (10.3.9 and 10.4.3) -- address differing vulnerabilities from allowing a hacker to launch a denial-of-service attack from your computer, to remotely taking control of your entire system.

Two flaws were discovered in Safari, Apple's default Web browser. Inadvertently clicking on a link to an infected Web site with your un-patched Safari browser could lead to exploitation of the flaw, opening a pathway for a hacker to control your system remotely.

Two more flaws were found in programs that secure users' personal information as they visit Web sites, with the flaws being in an underlying technology called SSL (secure sockets layer). The vulnerabilities, if gone unchecked, could leave credit card numbers and passwords exposed to hackers.

The other nine flaws were found in web applications like the Apache Web server.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- More Information About the Apple Patches
• Last week?s listing of Apple Patches
• Apple Security Update

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* Reading: Solutions, Prevention & Remedies
Additional summary information related to a specific type of solution or prevention that you should be considering. Depending upon the week, this section may have:
• Recent Windows security releases from Microsoft
• Recent updates to widely used anti-spyware programs
• Recent updates to widely used anti-virus programs
• Recent updates to other security programs & devices (ex: Firewalls, routers)
• Recent updates to various applications in wide use

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Read: Top Threats
These are viruses that are currently on the watch lists of major anti-virus software companies.

Name
What the threat is called. We use the name given each virus by Panda Software. Sometimes other anti-virus companies give the same threat a different name. Usually they use similar names.

Type
There are different characteristics associated with different types of threats.
• Virus - has the ability to replicate or infect computers or other programs
• Trojan Horse (or Trojan) - appear to be harmless programs when you get them. They unleash their payload when you double-click, open, or execute them.
• Phishing - a Web site or e-maill message posing as another company - usually one you know to fool you into giving the sender personal information.
• Worm - self replicates onto additional disks, computers or networks
• Spyware - installs on your system to collect information about your activity, preferences or interests
• Hoax - false messages sent by e-maill to mislead the recipient
• Backdoors - opens a security hole that allows outsiders to take control of your computer
• Dialer - uses your telephone to dial an outside number - sometimes a number that costs you money when dialed

Affects
Not all viruses affect all types of systems. Some, for example may affect only Windows 98 and 95, but not Windows XP or NT. Others affect all Windows systems, but not Macintosh. In this column, we show you the consumer systems that the threat is known to affect. We don't always include the servers that operate in your company's backroom.

Alert level
The level of awareness that anti-virus vendors suggest you need to have for each threat listed.
For each threat listed, we'll post a corresponding link here, so you can get more information to help you recognize, diagnose, prevent, and repair the problem.