Microsoft unveils new logo

Microsoft has unveiled its first new logo for 25 years. 

Microsoft's new logo is similar to the Windows logo.

Microsoft will launch Windows 8, the latest version of its computer operating system, later this year and aims to unify its branding across its range of products.

"It's been 25 years since we've updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change," said Jeff Hansen, general manager of Microsoft's brand strategy, wrote on the company's blog.

He added: "This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning."

Microsoft last changed its logo in 1987, adopting an italicised rendering of its name. The new logo adds four coloured squares alongside a plain version of its name and is similar to the logo for Windows. In fact, the website Neowin noted that a very similar logo was used in the marketing for Windows 95.

Hansen added: "The logo has two components: the logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, we are using the Segoe font which is the same font we use in our products as well as our marketing communications."
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that it was ditching the name 'Metro', which had previously been used to describe the text-drive, tile-based interface used in Windows Phone and on the Xbox games console. 

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Microsoft defends against espionage virus

Microsoft has released a temporary software patch to defend against the threat from Duqu, an espionage virus thought to be closely related to Stuxnet, the cyber attack that disrupted the Iranian nuclear programme. 

Cyber espionage is a growing threat, according to the Government

 

Duqu was first detected last month and, according to security analysts, is designed to steal sensitive information from industry.

Microsoft said it exploited a vulnerability in the Windows TrueType font parsing engine to gain control of infected computers. The temporary patch will be replaced by permanent update at an undisclosed later date.

Whoever was behind Duqu was able to “install programs; view, change or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights", Microsoft said.

It has also shared technical details with anti-virus firms.

"This means that within hours, anti-malware firms will roll out new signatures that detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability,” Microsoft said. “Therefore, we encourage customers to ensure their antivirus software is up-to-date.”

The Laboratory of Cryptography and Systems Security at Budapest University, which first detected Duqu, has said it is spread by a bogus Word document.
Only a handful of targets have been identified, according to anti-virus firms, leading them to suspect the virus is being used as part of a highly-targeted espionage operation, potentially as a prelude to further Stuxnet-style attacks.
“Duqu's purpose is to gather intelligence data and assets from entities, such as industrial control system manufacturers, in order to more easily conduct a future attack against another third party,” Symantec said.
Similarities between Duqu and Stuxnet have led to claims they must have been created by the same state-sponsored entity. Israeli and American intelligence agencies are widely belive to be behind the attack on the Iranian nuclear programme.

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