Windows users know it's a good idea to apply security fixes to their PCs as soon as patches are publicly released to prevent malicious actors from infiltrating their machines. But what if, before a patch was issued, the U.S. government was able to exploit those vulnerabilities using information fed to it by Microsoft?

Even though eyes are on next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, which is rumored to usher in the next major update to OS X, Apple hasn't stopped supporting its current version. The company on Tuesday released Mac OS X 10.8.4, bringing numerous fixes and improvements.

Previously unknown Mac OS X spyware, signed with a valid Apple Developer ID, has turned up on the laptop of an activist from Angola at a human rights conference in Norway.

Microsoft says its coding practices and its corporate management structure both comply with an international application security standard to encourage secure software development.

Microsoft is issuing critical security bulletins this Patch Tuesday that affect all versions of Internet Explorer and deal with an exploit that attackers are actively working.

Reader Jack Burns is a bit disconcerted by some recent news. He writes:

The Internet? Kind of a cesspool. And as the parent of kids who are now old enough to operate a Web browser, you can bet I'm keen on checking their activities and filtering out the inappropriate content.

Love it or hate it, Windows 8 is the bellwether for PCs. Where Microsoft goes, PCs follow. And now Microsoft is making a grab for the mobile market, too. The latest version of Windows is designed with touchscreens in mind, and one bright side of that evolution is the addition of features that make Windows more intuitive and easier to use on all devices.

Don't let the Windows 8 haters brainswash you: Microsoft actually introduced a few great features in its new operating system, some of which will help keep you safer from malware and other security threats. Though most of these security enhancements are active by default, you still must be proactive to get the most from them. Also, one new Windows 8 feature presents specific security concerns that must be addressed to keep your PC--and your data--as safe as possible. Let's jump in and investigate.

Like every new Windows release, Windows 8 is more secure than the operating systems that came before it. That's due in large part to three major enhancements: An increased emphasis on UEFI Secure Boot optimizations, the extension of the SmartScreen Filter across the operating system, and the default inclusion of a more robust version of Windows Defender, which now protects against all kinds of malware--not just spyware.

Perhaps you are already an iOS master. Or maybe you consider yourself more of a novice. Either way, we feel confident that at least some of the tips and tricks for iOS 6 that we present below will be new to you. What's more, we hope you love them--and benefit from them--as much as we do.

Perhaps you've heard that the Apple Mac OS X operating system is simply more secure by design and not prone to the security flaws and vulnerabilities that plague the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system? Well, don't believe the hype. Apple unleashed an update for Mac OS X this week which fixes a massive 134 vulnerabilities.