IE Security flaw

The latest security alert is an official warning from the Feds!  There’s a flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer that bad guys can use to get into your computer and have their way with it.

The technobabble US government warning is Brithish-like in its drollness.

US-CERT [United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Department of Homeland Security] recommends that users and administrators review Microsoft Security Advisory 2963983 for mitigation actions and workarounds. Those who cannot follow Microsoft’s recommendations, such as Windows XP users, may consider employing an alternate browser.

If you click through to Microsoft’s site in the link, you’ll see there is a whole list of rather difficult technical work-arounds that will, at best, “mitagate” the potential problem. For example, Microsoft’s first of six suggested work-arounds is to “Deploy the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit 4.1”.  Others are equally daunting.

Remember, after you’ve done everything Microsoft says, you’ve simply lessened the possibility that the bad guys will get through.  The vulunerability is still in the Internet Explorer program. Plus, once you’ve implemented the work-arounds, you may discover that you can no longer do some things that you expect to.  Why did IE originally have the settings and permissions Microsoft is now saying to change? I am guessing that IE probably needs them for some functionality you expect in a browser.

Anyway, there is a much simplier way to avoid the problems in Internet Explorer.  Even the government suggests it: use a different web browser.

The two browsers I regularly use are:

• Google’s Chrome
• Mozilla’s Firefox

Both are free and fast.  Just click on one of the links above, download and install the browser, and start it up.  Make sure that you make the new program your default Internet browser so that Internet Explorer doesn’t run when you click on a link.

Yes, if you switch away from Internet Explorer there will be some adjustment to a different look and feel. But, both Firefox and Chrome have a lot of free add-ons that make web surfing better.  My favorites are add-ons that block ads and the annoying Flash ads.

But, really, you have to switch for your own security.  Even the government thinks you should “consider” switching!