Microsoft patches up Internet Explorer

Microsoft has released an emergency update designed to fix a security flaw in Internet Explorer, the world’s most widely used browser.

The vulnerability discovered eight days ago was serious enough that Microsoft broke from its monthly cycle of updates and issued a repair as soon as it could. Security companies said that hackers were using the flaw in the browser to take control of PCs and hunt for credit card numbers and other financially sensitive information.

“People should run, not walk, to get [the update] installed,” Paul Ferguson, an advanced threat researcher at Trend Micro, said. "This vulnerability is being actively exploited by cyber-criminals and getting worse every day.”

Most PCs will automatically update themselves the first time they’re switched on after the release of the patch. The update can also be downloaded manually from the Microsoft website.

Microsoft has been praised for the speed of its response, but the timing of the security scare was unfortunate for the company. Google recently announced that its Chrome browser, designed to challenge Internet Explorer’s hold on web users, was ready for general release.

Internet Explorer has been gradually losing market share to Mozilla’s Firefox browser, although it remains the default browser on nearly three quarters of the world’s computers.

Comments

[Junk Male]

Firefox is a LOT better anyway.

[Stephen Manick]

Internet Explorer is not the number one browser for this very reason. Mozilla's Firefox or Mac's Safari are much safer, stable options.

[George]

.....and after 20 years I still haven't bought any anti-virus software for my Mac. sigh,....when will people make their computer life simpler?

[Livio]

According to my experience, pages load much faster by using Mozilla Firefox and it exploits less RAM, let alone the higher security level it provides you with

[charlesn]

But Opera is the best and fastest browser of them all ...

[Richard]

and after 20 years I still haven't bought any anti-virus software for my PC. sigh,....I use free AV software!! (and have saved a bundle of money by not paying Apple's over inflated prices!!!!! grin...)

[Don't Panic Captain Mannering, Don't panic...]

Talk about storm in a tea pot or what? There was problem, identified by Microsoft themselves, they fixed it PDQ. Big deal.

Serious security problems were also identified in Firefox this week. So why aren't we seeing news stories about this?

[Stacy]

George: I'm with ya. I use a MacBook Pro at work and run XP Pro under VMware Fusion when I need Windows apps, and I *never* use IE in Windows, only Firefox.

Otherwise, I stay in OS X and life is much easier.

[Gazok]

"This is why people should switch to OS X/Linux"

I love this train of thought. If people all switched to Ubuntu I'd be pissed off, because it would mean every script kiddie and his cat would start writing viruses for it, and in operating systems that aren't being constantly tested in the way Windows is, there will be a lot of holes and they will be found.

Hell, Linux even has several commands which completely destroy the system.

[vava]

Why aren't you mentioning Chrome? Isnt it good?

[Jay MacDonald]

No, it was Google's failed attempt to get browsers to switch to their V8 Javascript engine.

[Marc]

Please, please would all Mac users keep quiet (while smiling). I would hate for some idiot to spend time writing viruses for a Mac, which would be a waste of time.

Furthermore, where would companies, like Symantec,get their revenue from, if everyone ran a Mac?

So sshhhhhh! (While smiling, hugely!)

[wayne]

Firefox rules, I use IE only when given no choice and them I use the IE plugin when possible. Hope that soon the few sites that force you to use IE will get it together and allow Other browsers.

[Bobo]

IE is in FACT the most popular web browser, but its market share is shrinking.

Firefox had FORTY security flaws reported in 2008.

If think that Firefox is perfect, you're naive.