Warning to Internet Explorer users December 15, 2008
Posted by rm42 in Windows.trackback
According to some estimates, about 70% of those using the Internet are doing so with Internet Explorer. Those of us that work with computers a lot know that there are better alternatives, but it seems that a lot of people just use what comes with their computer and rarely stray to far from it. There is currently a very bad security problem in Internet Explorer that is actively being exploited by the bad guys and that threatens to make the Internet even more infested with compromised machines that the bad guys can then use for their nefarious purposes. See here for example:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212400523
7/8/2009 update:
Here is a more recent vulnerability:
http://secunia.com/advisories/35683/
With that in mind, I thought that this may be a good opportunity to help our friends and family members that are Internet Explorer users try out some of the alternatives. For example, what do you think about sending an email like the following to all (or most) of those in your email’s contacts list:
I don’t normally send mail to a distribution list, but this time I am making an exception. Since I work with computers so much, I keep abreast of what goes on in the computer field. From time to time I become aware of security problems that affect most people. When this happens I just say to myself that people using the internet should be smart enough to keep their computers up to date and to have virus scanner software installed. This time it is different however. I have become aware of a security vulnerability in Internet Explorer (the web browser that comes with Windows) that is, for the moment and for the most part, impossible for people to defend against. Microsoft recommends taking some steps to protect oneself, but those steps are hard to implement for most people and in the end they leave Internet Explorer mostly unusable any way. The only practical protection is to use a different web browser.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10122203-83.html
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212400523
Personally, I have been using the Firefox web browser for years and I am very pleased with it. Other options are the Opera browser and Safari. Firefox is my favorite due to the fact that it is an “Open Source” browser. That means that it is a product made in the open, mostly by volunteers, that has nothing to hide, including bugs. This type of software has proven to be much more secure than older style software since thousands of people are able to look for bugs or security problems and quickly offer patches to fix them.
You can download any one of those browsers for free from the following links:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
http://www.opera.com/download/
http://www.apple.com/safari/download/
Take care.
So, what do you think? Are you game?
Time for us all to be licking our lips.
I think that email is too impersonal. What would really do it is to print off Microsoft’s advisory, and to slap it down on the desk to the nearest MS fanboy. Watch them cringe as they admit that they run Firefox because open source software has better security.
Do you just go into Firefox and start using it – or do you have to disable Internet Explorer. Thx
Beth,
Just start using Firefox. When asked if you would like to make it your default browser answer “Yes”. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer cannot be completely removed from the operating system. So, just leave it well alone.
You can then navigate to the site that you would like to have as your home page and set it as such by going into (if you are using the Windows version): Tools > Options > Main Tab > “Use Current Pages” (yes you could set Firefox to open several pages by default). That is all you probably need to get going with it. But, you may be interested in leveraging more of the power that Firefox has. For that you may want to read some of the many Firefox tutorials available on the web. For example this one:
http://www.newbie.org/firefox/
I’ll throw this out there, aronzak there really aren’t any ms fanboys If you follow there blog posts and comments you find most of them are made by Indians on some kind of microsoft affiliate program(blog swetshop?). In america we are generally so sick of big corporations, and their marketing that we just tolerate them at best. In the third world where class systems are still openly embraced, money monsters are looked upon as gods, the ruling class and the winners. Most people who believe in the fundamental superiority of one person over another believe that supporting coca cola microsoft mcdonalds walmart ect is some how gives a person a kind of bonus point toward superiority. Find some of there profiles and see for your self there down right creepy and make it easy to understand how so many human rights violations are tolerated.
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
Hi !!!! ^_^
I am Piter Kokoniz. oOnly want to tell, that I like your blog very much!
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
Sorry for my bad english:)
Thank you!
Piter.
Piter,
Thanks. I am glad you like it. This blog is is not my job, if that is what you want to know. See here :
http://temporaryland.wordpress.com/about/
Hey, cool tips. Perhaps I’ll buy a glass of beer to that man from that forum who told me to go to your blog