Re: Microsoft's Latest Internet Explorer Security Flaw
An open letter to Dear Microsoft,
We understand that no software is 100-percent secure, and that your market dominance makes your products bigger targets for hackers, but we're seriously running out of excuses for you. Your record on security is simply becoming a deal breaker.
It took you eight years to plug a hole in your file sharing platform and flaws that would allow hackers to take complete control of a user's PC are found almost every other month. You even released an update that disabled anti-virus programs, leaving consumers vulnerable to even more attacks. And customers aren't the only ones fed up with the mess that is Microsoft. Your founder, Bill Gates himself, has complained (quite vehemently) about the confusing disaster that is Windows and its accompanying software.
The most recent security flaw that has come to public attention potentially affects all "current versions of Internet Explorer," whatever that means. The threat is serious enough that any enterprising hacker could commandeer a victim's PC simply by directing them to a Web site, of which over 10,000 have been found that exploit this hole. A week after the threat was made public, all you've been willing to offer is some advice on how to avoid infection by limiting user privileges, setting IE security settings to high, and running it in protected mode. Word is you're "considering" fixing it through an emergency patch, outside of the normal updates. But since the flaw could allow attackers to steal sensitive data such as passwords and credit card information, we would expect you to be rushing to fix it, not considering it.
We'll be offering our readers some security advice of our own -- use Firefox.
Sincerely,
Switched.com
[From: USA Today]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chandler Yergin said 12:41PM on 12-20-2008
Yes, My Cards have been hacked for years..
Had to Void 3 and now just got a new one..
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Jennifer said 2:44PM on 12-16-2008
Yeah, I've had problems with those dam exploit viruses! I use Firefox.
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Eddie said 2:51PM on 12-16-2008
The people that get exploited here are dumb enough to click on very off web sites. They almost deserve to be hacked.
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Unkown said 2:53PM on 12-16-2008
This is why I use Firefox. I've used since I bought my PC and I have yet to stop.
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Helen said 4:29PM on 12-16-2008
Unkown, do you have trouble visiting other sites using Firefox?
CJ said 3:02PM on 12-16-2008
Terrence O'Brien Sounds like you are from one of the groups of anti Microsoft people. It amazing to me how everyone jumps on all the bad with Microsoft but never looks at the good. Example you would not have everyone reading your articles on the web or how many people in the world have work because of the start of Microsoft products back from windows 95, that has taken everyone into the internet world. Does anyone really think that the IT world would have gotten this far with MAC, AS400 or LINUX.
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vic said 4:19PM on 12-16-2008
just because microsoft has led the industry for as long as it has and has created as many job as it has and to give the author of the article as much exposure as it has DOES NOT OBSOLVE microsoft from fixing a major flaw in its system not patch it ,and the reason you dont see companys like mac doing it is because it dont happen to them!
nat1192 said 5:56PM on 12-16-2008
Unfortunately Godwin's rule prevents me from replying...
allesky said 7:45PM on 12-16-2008
Why, now that you mention it, YES! Imagine where we would be if Microsoft hadn't tried to monopolize the entire computer industry with its released too soon, soon to be patched, and soon to be updated operating systems -- note the plural. It'll be fixed in 98, it works in NT, we'll merge the kernals 98/NT in XP, and Vista is such an abortion that you even raising a pro Microsoft flag has me wondering who pays your paycheck.
If you don't have an IT department who spend their days protecting your microsoft network, then you simply are placing yourself at risk by keeping any personal/financial information on your computer. Thanks Microsoft!
Ben said 7:02PM on 12-16-2008
CJ, did you really read that article with such little understanding? The article was about Internet Explorer, not Microsoft products in general. It is completely accurate and after I got zapped twice I switched to Firefox and have had zero problems. I would tell everyone to use Firefox. It's a great free service and while IE is free, it is trash.
Pebbles said 7:32PM on 12-16-2008
Amen! People forget what Microsoft has done for computers!
CJ said 8:58PM on 12-16-2008
1)DOES NOT OBSOLVE Microsoft from fixing a major flaw Microsoft fixes problems better than anyone else MAC and IBM wait till a new release of their OS Mac never fixes anything and does nothing but give excuses and blames everyone else for their problems.
2)Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies give me a break
3)Microsoft hadn't tried to monopolize. They did not monopolize they are just the best in the industry and the rage against Microsoft is from individuals that do not understand the complex world of computers or are just jealous of the success of the big companies.
4)And about protecting their Networks. If you’re an IT professional that knows the industry and knows the correct hardware and 3rd party software that help protect your network this is not a problem. Don’t blame Microsoft just because you expect them to do everything for you. Do your homework and become a real IT professional and protect your network with hardware and software available to you like Kaspersky and Juniper devices and hardware and again stop blaming Microsoft.
5)And yes I read the article IE is a Microsoft product. Yes! If it’s not IE its Vista if not IIS, It’s Exchange, if it not it’s ISA and so on.
6)Most IT so called professionals’ are nothing then more than homeowners that installed windows 95 once in their life and decided to become an IT professional. And now have nothing better to do than to blame Microsoft for everything that goes wrong with their life.
7)The bottom line use the tools outside of Microsoft to protect your networks and you will not have a problem. I have networks all over the world all running Microsoft product and have never in 15 years had any of the problems that I here with articles like this. Microsoft never told anyone only to use their OS to protect your IT infrastructure and if you are going to limit yourself to allow Microsoft to protect your IT infrastructure you need to get out of the business and let real IT professionals take over.
BillGates said 3:22PM on 12-16-2008
The fix is "Buy Apple".
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Pebbles said 7:33PM on 12-16-2008
APPLE SUCKS!! You can't do half of the things you do with Windows as you do with Mac!! Mac Sucks!!! They would still be the underdog if Microsoft wasnt viewed as a monopoly way back when and was not allowed to dominate they had to make way for crap like Apple to make phones--let Microsoft make a phone I bet it would be 10 times better!!
Anthony said 3:36PM on 12-16-2008
Some of you people make me sick. "I use Firefox, and blah blah blah...." or "I have a MAC and blah blah blah." If Firefox was the leading web browser, we'd be reading about this same thing with Firefox. The same thing goes for MACs. Hackers exploit bugs in the leading software products, plain and simple. If we all stopped using Internet Explorer and switched to Firefox, we'd all be screwed anyway, the hackers would target Firefox (honestly, what you're telling me is Firefox has NO security flaws??? yeah, whatever). It's not as simple as "use this, not this...", it's about knowing how to use what you are currently using to avoid being hacked.
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Bob said 7:10PM on 12-16-2008
Anthony, didn't read the article with understanding did you? Read it again.
Marty Didier said 3:47PM on 12-16-2008
There is a good reason why MS hasn't fixed some of the huge holes in their Windows. The reason won't surface for a little while but be prepared when it does cause you won't believe it.
I was in a family for more tha 26 years who's directly involved in what MS is involved in. This is how I know.
Marty Didier
Northbrook, IL
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Commander Underpants said 5:31PM on 12-16-2008
Marty Didier, what do we do then?
Marty Didier said 5:53PM on 12-16-2008
We can scale down what we use our Windows systems for and make a more concerned effort to watch for intrusion. Beware though that the problems that exist to my experience aren't protected by commercial fire walls and other protection software. My experience has been that all the firewalls I've used have been compromised. I did find an earlier version that seemed to do it's job and wasn't compromised though.
It may be that getting away from MS all together is the answer. There is a public domain software windows system that is designed in compartments. Any intrusion software installed is limited to the comparment it's installed within. However as software goes, anything is possible.
I would start reporting as often as possible any and all intrusion breakins noticed in your system to the Police. If no help then take it to the FBI.
Marty Didier
Northbrook, IL
Pebbles said 7:33PM on 12-16-2008
My husbands works for Microsoft and you are full of s***!!! Stop spreading lies!!