“Microsoft has just announced that it will issue an emergency patch — something it rarely does — for the Internet Explorer security hole implicated in recent data-stealing cyberattacks against Google, Adobe, Jupiter and dozens of other companies.

Signaling high urgency, Microsoft will not wait until it’s next Patch Tuesday — Feb. 9 — the next scheduled date for issuing security updates. George Stathakopoulos, Microsoft’s general manager trustworthy computing security, indicated in a blog post that the company won’t know until tomorrow, at the earliest, just how long it will take to finish up design and testing of the patch. It is planning to issue a press release sometime on Wednesday revealing when the patch will be ready.”

(Microsoft to issue emergency patch for flaw used in Google attack – USATODAY.com)