Mass migration to Windows XP could raise serious security questions for users week, another security patch! Microsoft has been pressed into action to release yet another patch to plug a hole in its Internet Explorer 6 web browser, which has accumulated an impressive record of holes: over 150 since 18 April 2001. What is more, it is not even a final solution to the latest in a catalogue of security compromises and back doors created by what should be a harmless, albeit essential, piece of PC software. At Microsoft's TechEd developer conference in Amsterdam earlier this month, I took time out to have a frank discussion with Detlef Eckert, senior director of trustworthy computing at Microsoft about the continuing security problems that are blighting the world's biggest software developer. Right now the company is almost fanatically committed to completing service pack 2 for Windows XP, the most security-focused update the company has ever released for one of its products. The new service pack will introduce a new, more powerful firewall, with basic predictive scanning capabilities, it will enable almost every security feature by default, including the firewall and will also address many existing security glitches in the operating system through a combined patch install, which providing users actually install the service pack, will address any lax patching over the last year.