The Internet Explorer fallout continues, with France announcing that it wants its citizens to use an alternative to IE when browsing the web.
Due to recent security scares unearthed by Google in China, Internet Explorer's reputation has taken a bit of a hammering of late, something which was parlayed with Germany warning computer users in the country over the weekend not to use Microsoft's browser for surfing the internet.
According to Sophos, the French government has also announced it is taking a similar stance via CERTA (translated as the Centre of Government Response and Treatment of Computer Attacks), where it is asking users to use an alternative browser and disable in 'active code' such as JavaScript and ActiveX.
Better the devil you know
Graham Cluely from Sophos gives the following advice about the IE security scares: "My advice is to only switch from Internet Explorer if you really know what you are doing with the browser you're swapping to. Otherwise it might be a case of 'better the devil you know'.
"My guess is that Microsoft will be working hard to release an out-of-band patch for the vulnerability. They will be keen to fix the serious security problem before more damage is done to Internet Explorer's reputation."
Microsoft better act quick, before the whole of the EU responds in a similar way.
Via Mashable
Your comments (8) Click to add a new comment
timacheson
January 20th 2010
8. NEWSFLASH: ALL WEB BROWSERS HAVE SECURITY ISSUES, IT'S NOT JUST IE6.
Many of the people posting anti-IE/anti-MS comments here and elsewhere seem to be under the impression that other web browsers are somehow holy or sacred. All web browsers have security issues, not just IE; but more people jump on the bandwagon when it's IE.
"There is a critical JavaScript vulnerability in the Firefox 3.5 Web browser, Mozilla has warned."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10287172-83.html
"For the second time in two weeks, Google has shipped a new version of its Chrome browser to fix a pair of serious security vulnerabilities."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=3324
There are numerous other examples, of course, for those who care to check the facts.
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mobius
January 19th 2010
7. @serendipity, exactly right. I'm sure healeydave would be shocked to know that last year Firefox accounted for the most browser vulnerabilities (44% compared to Safari with 35% and IE with 13%), whereas it was IE the year before (2008). Just as FF grows in popularity the more vulnerabilties were found.
This shouldn't be a pro or anti MS thing which it seems to turn out to be. Personally as a software developer I have most of the browsers installed and in use but I tend to use IE as it causes the fewest issues and to be realistic why target the minority of users?
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timacheson
January 19th 2010
6. Any suggestion that other browsers or indeed any software is safe is pure nonsense. IE provides web access on over 90% of enterprise desktops. Obviously more usage means its more likely to be involved in incidents.
Data Execution Protection is enabled in IE8 by default. Users and IT departments need to keep their software up to date.
Even within any web browser there are other factors, e.g. the ubiquitous Flash plug-in in which countless security vulnerabilities have been identified in numerous versions. When a problem is detected in software, an update is released, which is why users much keep up to date.
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psyfur
January 19th 2010
5. Opera Tbh!
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mack
January 18th 2010
4. It's a reasonable comment that you might as well stick with IE if you're clueless.. firefox only really shines if the user knows how to install extensions and manage them properly.
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serendipity
January 18th 2010
3. @lovlid
This is what numpties like healeydave don't realise. They think somehow that FF is inherently more secure, It's not! And worse the crooks have a head start because they can read through the source code looking for weaknesses. How long will it be before the hackers manage to trick people into downloading specially crafted malware versions of FF or Chrome? It'll happen...
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lovlid
January 18th 2010
2. Yeah, coz if we all use firefox, every hacker and cyber terrorist in the world, will just give up the ghost. Right? right? WRONG.
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healeydave
January 18th 2010
1. As usual, the governments finally catch up with what Techies realised years ago, IE sucks, this can only be a good thing.
The general public might finally get off their lazy asses and install a better browser :-)
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