For the last decade, every Microsoft Patch Tuesday was preceded by a Microsoft Advance Notification Service (ANS) update. In an unexpected move, Microsoft announced on Jan. 8 that it is ending the free general public availability of ANS, which will only be available to Microsoft premier customers and members of its security programs.
ANS provided a brief preview of the patches set to debut on Patch Tuesday. The public release, however, never provided full details of the specific flaw but, rather, was a general overview of patched items to help provide some initial guidance.
Premier customers and current organizations that are part of our security programs, such as the Microsoft Active Protections Program, will continue to receive the ANS,” the Microsoft spokesperson stated.
Read the full story at eWEEK:
Microsoft Ends Free Public Advance Security Notification Service
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.