ISU students who use Windows XP recently gained more free security features from Microsoft.

Microsoft released the much-anticipated Service Pack 2 upgrade for the Windows XP operating system Aug. 18. An upgrade for XP Pro came a week later.

Service Pack 2 includes some performance upgrades to speed up the computer, but the main focus is security, said Frank Poduska, assistant director for Academic Information Technologies.

“We recommend that people apply upgrades and patches as soon as possible to close down any holes or exploits [in their computer],” Poduska said.

The firewall in Service Pack 2 blocks many of the pathways called ports that worms and viruses take to the machine. All programs that connect to the Internet use a port to communicate. They create security problems by leaving a pathway into your computer from the Internet.

A firewall is a program that controls what and how programs can connect to the Internet. It also prevents hackers and viruses from gaining access and taking over a computer.

Firewalls may impede some programs from connecting to the Internet, including Kerberos, Iowa State’s e-mail security program. This can be fixed by manually allowing the program to connect to the Internet right after the product is installed.

Some programs that Iowa State uses are negatively affected by the upgrade. WebMail’s deluxe option is one of them because it uses pop-up windows, which are blocked by the service pack. This can be rectified by allowing WebMail to display pop-up windows while you are connected to that Web site.

AIT is now offering support for those who encounter problems with the upgrade, including the firewall and pop-up blocker.

The size of the upgrade is also a problem for users who do not have high speed Internet. The upgrade is over 200 megabytes and can take several hours to download over a dial-up connection.

AIT has received update CDs from Microsoft containing the full update to alleviate this problem. The CDs are available for free to students, faculty and staff in room 195 at Durham Center.

But the benefits of installing the service pack far outweigh its disadvantages, Poduska said. He said in the last week AIT has already blocked 150 computers for viruses or suspicious network activity, and computers that are blocked can take days to repair.

AIT recommends installing the upgrade, but AIT systems analyst Wayne Hauber said it is not a cure-all for computer woes.

“Service Pack 2 is not a substitute for good security practices,” he said. “It is still important to have good passwords, current security patches and current antivirus software.”