If you don’t already use Firefox, it’s probably time to install it.
CNET reports: It’s not often that the US or UK governments weigh in on the browser wars, but a new Internet Explorer vulnerability — one that affects all major versions of the browser from the past decade — has forced them to raise an alarm: Stop using IE.
The zero-day exploit, the term given to a previously unknown, unpatched flaw, allows attackers to install malware on your computer without your permission. That malware could be used to steal personal data, track online behavior, or gain control of the computer. Security firm FireEye, which discovered the bug, said that the flaw is being used with a known Flash-based exploit technique to attack financial and defense organizations in the US via Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11. Those versions of the browser run on Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, although the exploit is present in Internet Explorer 6 and above.
While the Computer Emergency Readiness Team in England and the US regularly issue browser advisories, this is one of the few times that the CERT team has recommended that people avoid using a specific browser. [Continue reading…]
My Computer person urged me to use IE after getting my computers back from recovering from a malware attack. However the degree of editing I noticed, even obstructing my linking to War in Context with continual security warnings, soon brought me back to Firefox. Microsoft does not overtly censor sites and opinions that differ from the Washington driven media, but they make it more difficult to maintain ones patience with the constant hassle.