The three security patches scheduled to be released on March 10, Tuesday next week, will address three security issues in Windows 2000, Server 2003, XP, Server 2008 and Windows Vista, said Microsoft on Friday. Microsoft clarified that the security updates will be for Windows, not for Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products.

Microsoft explained that the security patches are the company's effort to plug the three security holes found in Windows. The Software maker accounted that one security patch, which has been rated as "CRITICAL," is for a critical security flaw that and two security patches, which have been rated as "IMPORTNANT" are for "important" security holes.

Microsoft revealed that the security patch rated as "CRITICAL" is the highest of the company's four alert levels. Exploiting the "Critical" Windows security flaw, hackers or attackers can execute malicious code on users' PCs remotely. The critical security patch will fix the critical security flaw in Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server
2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2000.

Microsoft reported that the other two security patches rated as "IMPORTANT" come at number three of the company's four risk levels. Microsoft explained that these important patches will address spoofing flaws. Spoofing is a kind of attack, in which attackers redirect victims to a bogus or dangerous site to launch malware or steal victims'' credit cards, login credentials or other personal information.

Microsoft announced the three security patches just one week after it issued about Excel security flaw that allows attackers to launch malicious code remotely on users' computers via an infected Excel spreadsheet file. The company did not offer any official word about a fix for the Excel security flaw.

Microsoft notified that the three security patches will be released around 10 a. m. Pacific time on March 10, Tuesday that the Windows IT administrators have nicknamed the day as "Patch Tuesday". On Wednesday, March 11, at 11 a. m. Pacific time, the company will arrange for a Webcast to answer customer questions about the security bulletins.