Service Pack Enhances Windows Server Security

To further strengthen the security and reliability of Windows Server 2003, Microsoft plans to release a security-focused service pack (SP) in the first half of 2005 that will include bug and vulnerability fixes, as well as new and updated features. While this first SP for Windows Server 2003 will change the OS to improve the overall security, it should not cause as many application compatibility problems as Windows XP SP2. Nonetheless, customers will want to completely test and evaluate the new features.

Security Focus Continues

Windows Server 2003, which was released in Apr. 2003, was the first version of Windows to undergo a complete security review based on the Trustworthy Computing initiative, in which products are made secure by design, default (during installation and configuration), and deployment (throughout the life of the product via patches and updates). The result was to be a highly secure and reliable version of Windows, but a significant number of patches have been released for Windows Server 2003 since its release.