Microsoft Releases Biggest-Ever Security Fix

Microsoft (MSFT) instigated its biggest-ever security fix, releasing software to address problems including a flaw in its Windows operating system and Internet browser that could let hackers take control of a personal computer.

The new software, released Tuesday, will address a range of vulnerabilities, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked an Iranian nuclear power plant, Reuters reported.

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Four of the new software updates are of the highest priority and should be deployed immediately, Microsoft said.

In total, the company released 16 security patches to address 49 problems in its products. That tops the company's previous record of 34, which was first set in October 2009 and has been matched twice since then.

"This is a huge jump," said Amol Sarwate, a research manager with computer security provider Qualys Inc, told Reuters. "I think the reason for it is that more and more people are out there looking for vulnerabilities."

The Stuxnet virus attacks infrastructure such as power plants that use Siemens industrial control systems. The virus was detected in countries including Iran, the United Kingdom, the United States and Pakistan.