Internet Explorer Security Hole

[Jollygoodfellow]

Internet Explorer security hole

A newly-discovered bug in the Internet Explorer web browser makes PCs vulnerable to attacks by hackers, Microsoft has warned.

The security breach, which affects hundreds of millions of users, means attackers can infect the PC of a user should they visit a malicious website and take control of the computer, reports Reuters.

Microsft has urged customers to download a piece of security software to lessen the risk of infection.

However, the download is only an interim measure as Microsoft attempt to fix the bug and release a new, safe version of Internet Explorer.

And a number of security experts have advised Windows users to instead temporarily switch to a rival browser while Microsoft fix the bug.

"For consumers it might be easier to simply click on Chrome," said Dave Marcus, director of advanced research and threat intelligence with Intel Corp's McAfee security division.

Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of the security firm BeyondTrust, said it may not be feasible for some businesses to install the interim fix tool on their PCs as it may be incompatible.

Eric Romang, a researcher in Luxembourg, discovered the flaw in Internet Explorer on Friday, when his PC was infected by a piece of malicious software known as Poison Ivy, which had gotten on to his system by exploiting a previously unknown bug, or "zero-day" vulnerability, in Internet Explorer.

"Any time you see a zero-day like this, it is concerning," said Liam O Murchu, a research manager with anti-virus software maker Symantec Corp.

"There are no patches available. It is very difficult for people to protect themselves.

"The danger with these types of attacks is that they will mutate and the attackers will find a way to evade the defenses we have in place," he added.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/news/article/-/14882545/internet-explorer-secuity-hole/

[Curley]

The solution is simple, never use IE. Chrome and Firefox are much better and faster and free of charge. Or even better than that..... use Linux Mint for your operating system and connect to the web with that, hackers just don't bother to try hacking Linux when IE is so easy to do.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Curley

[i am bob]

The solution is simple, never use IE. Chrome and Firefox are much better and faster and free of charge. Or even better than that..... use Linux Mint for your operating system and connect to the web with that, hackers just don't bother to try hacking Linux when IE is so easy to do.

Curley, Curley, Curley.... Are you trying to take my position as the LInux spokesperson? :mocking: (ahem... for those who don't know, Mint is just another variation that is based on my favourite operating system - Ubuntu... hehe!)

Seriously, anyone using IE these days just don't know how insecure it is - and has been for years! Every time MicroSoft comes out with another version of IE, we always find out shortly after that it is even more insecure than the one it replaced... Why? Because the inherent issues in IE cannot be fixed but they insist on just building more and more on the same flawed piece of &(&_ ... Silly people!

If you are sick of worrying about being hacked or viruses or just plain old paying for all those programs you need for work or your hobby, consider looking into one of the various Linux operating systems. They are free to download and install and many come with the ability to "test-drive" without changing what you currently have. Simply download the file to your desktop and then burn it to a dvd as an ISO file. Boot from the dvd and see what we are talking about. If you decide to change over, you can either install it as a stand-alone operating system or a dual-boot for those times you just still need to access Windows. But the nice part is the browsers you are used to are still available (except IE) and the majority of the software you will need. And no more worrying about viruses! And, for those of you interested in doing recording work, check out Ubuntu Studio. Video work? OpenShot is an application that has been used even in Hollywood - remember James Cameron's Avatar? Much of the work was done using OpenShot. Need to touch up photos? GIMP has come along way to replacing PhotoShop... And for those who need Office, there is LIbreOffice (or OpenOffice) that you can still save in MS Word format as well as just about any other format available. And these are all free!

Now, back to viruses... Do you have to worry about viruses in Linux? There are 4 basic types of malware out there but the only one that can sneak into your machine is what is called a RootKit. So a simple (and free) RootKit checker is all that is required.

IE be dammed! I like not having to worry about if my browser is going to kill my computer or not!

Wow! Does this fall under spamming? Sorry guys but, in my old days, this used to be my primary field in IT - security!

:mocking:

[Curley]

Curley, Curley, Curley.... Are you trying to take my position as the LInux spokesperson? (ahem... for those who don't know, Mint is just another variation that is based on my favourite operating system - Ubuntu... hehe!)

Sorry...................... :th_thsmilies-29057: :whistling: :SugarwareZ-037: I'll get my coat.