When Microsoft Corp. researchers learned recently that a software flaw had been made public and could prompt Internet attacks, the company ordered a team to devote all its time to fixing the flaw and making the repair work with other products.

Microsoft argues thats the approach customers want and expect, but some security experts complained that the software companys traditional method, which could take days or weeks, wouldnt help people fast enough.

So for the second time in three months, outside programmers took matters into their own hands by quickly releasing their own fixes, days ahead of the official Microsoft patch for its market-dominant Internet Explorer browser.

Microsoft doesnt endorse such third-party fixes warning it cant vouch for whether they will work smoothly with Microsoft products and other applications. But those providing them argue they have a responsibility to protect users from attacks.

Continue reading courtesy of ap.org