After Microsoft admitted it’s Internet Explorer was the weak link in the recent attack on Google’s systems, Germany has responded by warning web users to use an alternative browser than Internet Explorer.
Even though spokesman Thomas Baumsgaertner, Microsoft Germany, said that the attacks were by “highly motivated people with a very specific agenda” and that “there’s no threat to the general user”, the way to exploit this flaw has now found it’s way to the Internet. It’s just a matter of time before everyone will have a go at it…
Microsoft is of course working an on update to fix the issue and it might be released in an out-of-cycle security update, which occurs once a month. The next, planned, security update is scheduled for February 9th.
The fix is not an easy task though. Microsoft will have to make sure it fixes the problem and doesn’t create a new loophole while making sure it works on all computers. Even worse, they have to fix it for three different versions of Internet Explorer.
Source: BBC.
Personally I’m not such a big Internet Explorer “hater” as I used to be, IE 8.0 is not as bad as the earlier versions, but I still recommend friends, family and almost everybody else, to go with Firefox, Chrome or simply just Safari (mostly Mac users).
I like Firfox but I always seem to hit the blue e on my computer when I need to do something. I hate to say it but Microsoft will not be able to fix the problem. If you are determined enough to hack something you will find a way.