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Microsoft has allied with antivirus vendors Network Associates and Trend Micro to form the Virus Information Alliance, an initiative intended to keep users better informed about virus threats to Microsoft products.

New Resource

A Virus Information Alliance Web page with the latest information on high-risk viruses affecting Microsoft products is now available. The page has been added to Microsoft's TechNet Web site for technology professionals, Microsoft said in a statement. TechNet is also Microsoft's site for security patches and other information for the technology community.

As part of the alliance, Microsoft, Network Associates, and Trend Micro will exchange technical information on newly discovered viruses. The vendors say the collaboration effort is designed to more quickly alert users about the risk of new viruses, and to advise them about what to do for protection.

The site will refer to the antivirus vendors for extra detail, according to information on Microsoft TechNet.

Favorite Target

Microsoft software, which is installed on the vast majority of PCs in the world and on a large number of servers, has been a target of many viruses and worms. Its Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail applications, in particular, are favorite targets of virus-writers. Often, widespread disruption of e-mail communication and online business results.

The TechNet virus information pages will eventually also offer documentation and other online resources that will help users protect themselves, according to Microsoft.

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