Important OT warning -- Internet Explorer

[FastWoman]

I'm posting this here because it's important and because this seems to be the most viewed forum. Please feel free to move and/or repost!

I've become aware of a serious security hole in Internet Explorer that currently has no fix:

Vulnerability Note VU#222929 - Microsoft Internet Explorer use-after-free vulnerability

Everyone is advised to use a different browser until a fix is available, for instance Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Both are free and downloadable:

Firefox: Download Firefox ? Free Web Browser ? Mozilla

Chrome: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/

Those of you with Windows XP will not be getting a fix via automatic updates, as update support for XP has been terminated. I'm guessing you can update IE manually.

[TomoHawk]

Thanks for the note.

IIRC, on Windoze XP, you can update Internet explorer only to version 8. You need Win 7/8 to go to a higher version on IE.

In any case, I use FireFox, and I like it better than any other web browser.

Edited April 28, 2014 by TomoHawk

[Zed Head]

I'm from the Portland Oregon area and OT just means overtime to me (see Blazers - Rockets). What does it mean here? Kind of kidding, but really don't know.

I did see articles about that. Microsoft drops another ball. I found IE to be slow and bloated years ago anyway and it's never improved. Chrome is fast. Firefox used to be the best, but their recent upgrades have become slow also.

[TomoHawk]

IMO, Microsoft is a greedy monster, and they want to make one more grab at getting the American Dollar before July. With millions of desktop computers that have Win XP, they will make a few dollars (20 million x $200 each to upgrade.)

It's also less work for them, not to have to bother with an "old" operating system, like DOS.

BTW, I still have one old computer on the shelf with Win 3.1, and I have a copy of Win 3.0 put away somewhere on CD.

[ZCurves]

Inturdnet Explorer has been nothing but a POS, especially after all of the complications with security and Java. I advise installing Firefox, Chrome or even Safari - just don't uninstall IE it is too far integrated into the Windows OS. Simply remove (unpin) the IE shortcuts. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Microsoft allowed their browser to become such a giant failure, especially in the age of Cloud computing.

[Kurbycar32]

Im the guy in IT that says "you must use Internet Explorer here at work", mostly against my will but its company policy. Heres the problem with IE: Its way too integrated. Without debating other browsers I can say that all other browsers are basically just applications and as such are more secure by the simple fact that they dont directly have the ability to control your operating system. My professional opinion is that IE is simply too important for users to be screwing around with it as its how many of the low level Windows functions connect to the internet. My advice: make sure IE is installed working and functional, then use another browser for browsing. My master vision is that Microsoft makes a super hardened version of IE, renames it, and then doesnt make it accessible to the end user and runs its necessary system functions through that. Then like any other browser IE gets installed like a regular application