A Polish security researcher/hacker claims to have found two flaws in the and Compaq update software, which is found on most Hewlett-Packard and Compaq laptops. The bugs are in an control. They let an attacker get to and corrupt the Windows kernel, which is essentially the heart of the Windows operating system.

This could prevent the computer from booting up, or even allow the hacker to hijack it and install malware. It works by sending you an email with a link to a bad Web site. If you click the link, your computer will be attacked. Both XP and Vista are vulnerable to this exploit, as are Internet Explorer 6 and 7.

Just recently, the same researcher revealed flaws in other HP software on its portable computers. HP promptly fixed that problem by simply disabling the affected software. The latest vulnerability, says the hacker, cannot be patched this way.

No matter what brand or type of computer you have, do not open spam emails and above all, do not click on links in such emails. If you have an HP or machine, watch for a software update soon. Merry Christmas!

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here: = > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

You may include these Tips in your Web sites and publications, provided they remain unchanged and include the above paragraph, with the author’s name and Web site. You can also get a direct URL to this post. Click the title, then copy the URL in the browser address bar.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!