It's free, it comes with Windows and it's used by approximately 94% of the Internet population. It also poses an unacceptable security risk. What am I talking about? If you guessed Internet Explorer, you're right on the money. So, is your web browser putting you at risk? If you're one of the 94% using Internet Explorer, the answer is a definite *yes*. By my math, quite a few people require critical information for protection.
What's the problem with Internet Explorer (known as "IE" from here out) and how does it put you at risk?
The main problem with IE is the numerous security flaws. As an example, between April 2001 and June 2004, Microsoft documented *153 security flaws* in IE. When a security flaw is discovered Microsoft releases information about the flaw and the potential impact. *Usually* at this point Microsoft provides a downloadable security fix to remedy the problem. Since many people don't know about the flaw and the fix, frequently people remain vulnerable for long periods of time.
Just how serious are some of these security flaws? Some of the critical security flaws allow attackers to basically gain control of your computer and run whatever malicious programs they chose. In many cases, your vulnerable computer can be compromised just by visiting the wrong website.
Here are but a few of the malicious programs I've seen loaded on people's computers through security holes in IE:
What can you do to improve security?
Rather than continue to apply what boils down to "band aid" security fixes to IE, I recommend a more permanent solution. Stop letting IE put you at risk, and switch to another web browser.
How exactly will switching web browsers help? Quite simply, there are so many security exploits on the Internet targeted specifically to IE that just by using another browser, you'll happily avoid most of them.
The good news is that there are several alternative web browsers available free of charge like Netscape, Mozilla, Opera and Firefox. For more information a great website to visit is http://browsehappy.com. This website is dedicated to getting people to switch from IE. It's full of "real life" stories about why people switched, and what browser they're using now.
So, what's the best browser of the bunch? Well, it's highly subjective of course, but my vote goes to ?
Firefox, "Rediscover the Web" A new browser called Firefox has quickly become my web browser of choice. First off, Firefox was written to be "lean and mean" and it certainly delivers. It's faster at loading web pages than IE and even provides features not found in IE. Something I suspect will quickly become a favorite feature is called tabbed browsing. Tabbed browsing allows you to load multiple web pages in the same window, and quickly switch between the loaded pages. Tired of pop-ups? Firefox has the best built-in pop-up blocker I've seen. I have yet to see a pop-up get past it. When it comes to security, Firefox receives *high marks*.
Firefox definitely has a positive "buzz" going right now, and it's easy to see why. If you're interested in trying out Firefox, you can download it for free here: http://browsehappy.com
I'll conclude by saying that switching browsers is only one of several steps necessary to protect yourself from the many threats on the Internet, but it's certainly a good place to start. Here's to practicing safe computing.
? Doug Partridge - All Rights reserved
About The Author
Doug Partridge is co-author of a new eBook, "How to Secure Your Computer Using Free Tools and Smart Strategies." This is the missing Internet security guide that should have come with your Windows computer, but didn't.
Free Details => http://browsehappy.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareOne of the most common questions computer users ask is,... Read More
MMC and SDFlash memory is available in so many formats... Read More
Most people download and save so much information on their... Read More
The battle is heating up for market share, home movie... Read More
So I'll start from the very beginning.One day I was... Read More
By using your computer today you can find a lot... Read More
How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working... Read More
Computers have replaced typewriters, but two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing can never... Read More
In the early days, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were not... Read More
Sometimes your PC will start acting strange for no apparent... Read More
Enhanced Definition Television ? also known as EDTV ? is... Read More
Below you will find some useful information and comments about... Read More
Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or... Read More
I have a p3 500MHz PC with 128MB RAM, 10.2... Read More
Lost & Found for the 21st CenturyIn today's hectic world... Read More
I do a holiday letter every year and send them... Read More
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More
Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from... Read More
What led them to this choice, as all four studios... Read More
In the 1950's and 1960's Polaroid's instant cameras were all... Read More
ASR (Automated System Recovery) is a feature available on the... Read More
When browsing the internet you are likely to come across... Read More
Viruses, software failures, power failures, human errors, hard drive failures... Read More
In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier... Read More
"Aaaaaahhhhhh! I've been invaded by a virus!" Getting a virus... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Surf the 'Net for about 10 minutes and chances rate... Read More
IntroOne of the big advantages of PCs over earlier types... Read More
On 21 August 2003 Symantec Security Response upgraded the W32.SOBIG.F... Read More
Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These... Read More
It's free, it comes with Windows and it's used by... Read More
Not so many years ago, homes across the country watched... Read More
It seems like fast never quite rates fast enough.No matter... Read More
In the years of the dot com boom and bust,... Read More
Good Morning Mr. Sampson. Please type in you Personal Identification... Read More
About mail-mergingMail-merging is the process of merging variable data and... Read More
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More
I've worked my way from the CCNA to the CCIE,... Read More
Upgrading your processor will always speed up your computer, but... Read More
So you got yourself a digital camcorder. If you want... Read More
Do you use Windows standard uninstall feature? How do you... Read More
You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC,... Read More
I got my eyes set on a iPod mini, as... Read More
Spyware is the software that collects information about your online... Read More
If you're a computer expert, you'll probably already know about... Read More
Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from... Read More
With the new technology used to transfer information to from... Read More
If you are a building a website or a forum,... Read More
Most of the web applications have a lot of images... Read More
In this era of Internet, most people are frequent users... Read More
Peoples' private information needs to stay private, even after it... Read More
Personal Technology |