Stuart J Johnston

A new flaw in Microsoft security software turns the software that's supposed to be protecting you into a threat.

Microsoft's "cute" animations, like the infamous Office Clippy, have aroused more ire than grateful praise, but they didn't actually do any harm -- until now. The part of Windows behind the animated yellow dog helper in Windows search, called Microsoft Agent, gives malicious hackers a route into your PC for spyware or viruses transmitted via a drive-by download.