IE Users: PLEASE Switch to a More Secure Browser

Nom nom nom.

We have all heard about China’s attacks on Google. More recently, these attacks have been expanded against Adobe, Yahoo, Symantec, and many others. These are very advanced attacks, coordinated by a hostile foreign government, and should be taken very seriously. The target is intellectual property and account information. The Gmail account of people hostile to the Chinese government were hacked into and accessed. One can only imagine their motivations.

So what does this have to do with Internet Explorer? Many of these attacks were only successful due to an exploit in Internet Explorer that affects versions 6, 7, and 8. That means this vulnerability has existed since at least 2001.

This exploit is now available freely for the bad guys on the Internet. Microsoft is now “working on a patch”, but there has been no reports of when this will be available, so you are currently exposed if using IE. Other browsers, such as Mozilla’s Firefox, provide protection from these sorts of exploits through several ways. First, they are not as intimately tied to the operating system as Internet Explorer is to Windows. Secondly, most provide a much better security infrastructure and reporting system to avoid known phishing / malware web sites. Third, extensions such as Flashblock and AdBlock allow you to block ads and Flash content, often used as vehicles to exploit unsuspecting users’ credentials.

The German government has now recommended that no one uses Internet Explorer.

The French government has now recommended that no one uses Internet Explorer.

This is no longer about tech geeks like something new and shiny. It is about protecting the west’s intellectual property from a country that doesn’t play by the rules.

I don’t understand how so many people can be “loyal” to Internet Explorer after a decade of reports about security concerns. Now it has become a national security issue. Please consider the switch if you haven’t already. Please stop fearing a small change when all your tech savvy friends keep warning you. You’ll be used to a new browser within several days, and you’ll probably find you like it better after the transition!