An upgrade to SQL Server, code-named Yukon, will be delayed from late this year to early next year, said company officials here last week, to build more security features into the database. According to the officials, Microsoft pulled its 1,000-person development team off the latest SQL Server database earlier this year to focus solely on security for three months.

SQL Server users said Microsoft's new focus on security is much-needed, as databases are increasingly open to users outside a company's firewall through the Web. SQL Server has become a common target for hackers because of its increasing use, particularly among smaller companies that might lack in-house security expertise, said Ron Talmage, an independent SQL Server consultant and owner of Prospice LLC, in Seattle. "[Microsoft] didn't have any choice but to focus on security," Talmage said. "It's no longer just an irritation; it's a necessity."

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