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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: stevieuk on Saturday 16 January 10 20:02 GMT (UK)
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For those who use IE as a browser this might make you switch to something better/safer....
Theres a choice of other browsers, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome & others...my preference is Firefox.
German government warns against using MS Explorer
The German government has warned web users to find an alternative browser to Internet Explorer to protect security.
The warning from the Federal Office for Information Security comes after Microsoft admitted IE was the weak link in recent attacks on Google's systems.
Microsoft says the security hole can be shut by setting the browser's security zone to "high", although this limits functionality and blocks many websites.
Link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8463516.stm
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Thnak for that info and the link Stevie.
Why do you prefer firefox?
charlotte
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Why do you prefer firefox?
charlotte
German government warns against using MS Explorer
says it all ;D
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macbeth, you misunderstood my question to Stevie :)
Stevie wrote:
"Theres a choice of other browsers, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome & others...my preference is Firefox." and I am asking him why he prefers firfox out of these alternatives to IE that he mentions. :D
charlotte
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Oh sorry
I like Firefox because of the addins - which means it is highly customisable. The other browsers may well have that too, but I'm happy with firefox.
Add-ins I use:
IETab - so if some web sites insist on being opened in IE, you can open them in a tab if Firefox, and not have to fire up IE
cheers
Beth
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Charlotte
Don't use anything but Firefox these days, it's great with multiple windows open at once and one can get one's techo husband to customise it just how one wants it.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Karenlee
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Thanks Beth and Karenlee.
Beth's reasons are good but not sure Karenlee's apply to me re a teachie OH ;)
Will go to firefox on new computer.
charlotte
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Charlotte... I'll loan you mine when the new one turns up..... ;D
Karenlee
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Firefox is hopeless with very slow broadband.....I installed it, but pages take forever to download. So I was forced to switch back to IE. :(
Dee
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Dee, what do you call very slow broadband? ???
and I mean the speed of it not the other possible interpretation of my question. ::)
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Maximum broadband speed available to me is 512kbps, Charlotte.
It's all that is available in this area......
Dee
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I`ve used Firefox on 512k adsl & it worked fine.
I believe IE starts faster but its something to do how its installed within Windows, but browsing should be pretty much the same.
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Stevie and Dee... a very non-techie's question :-[ :-[
How do I find out what speed my adsl is at please?
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Hi Charlotte
Heres 2 speedtesters that a lot of people use.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html
http://www.speedtest.net/index.php?nojs=1
Many people can sometimes improve their ASDL speeds with a bit of effort
Give the 2 tests a try.
Steve
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Charlotte.....it's on my plan on the internet site of my provider.
That's also where I can check what speeds will work in my district.
Stevie, browsing with Firefox takes every page ages for me . Maybe it's how it's set up, but I have no idea about that....I'm very much a non- techie too.....
Dee :)
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You could try Opera or Google Chrome, Opera is well thought of & meant to be fast, Chrome is the new Kid on the block & some say its good (haven`t tried it myself).
http://www.google.co.uk/chrome
http://www.opera.com/
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Might just do that, Stevie.....
Thanks....
Dee :)
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"One thing that should be stressed is that every browser has its security issues, so switching may remove this current risk but could expose you to another."
Did anyyone not read the last sentence?
Recommending Firefox seems unrealistic when any browser is vulnerable. If Firefox became the number one browser then malware writers would switch all their efforts into trying to exploit any weaknesses it has.
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Oh sorry
I like Firefox because of the addins - which means it is highly customisable. The other browsers may well have that too, but I'm happy with firefox.
Add-ins I use:
IETab - so if some web sites insist on being opened in IE, you can open them in a tab if Firefox, and not have to fire up IE
cheers
Beth
Don't you think that using addins written by people you can't verify is not a security issue in itself ?
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Stevie, thanks for the two links... I'm on a borrowed pc at present- new laptop soon and then it will become a real issue for me.
charlotte
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The article also says that ordinary users are unlikely to experience problems, (in the view of the German government).
It sounds as though the advice was intended for their government departments and big business, rather than us ordinary punters!
;)
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It's probably quite a sensible idea to use a dedicated browser for banking and use it for nothing else.
charlotte
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"One thing that should be stressed is that every browser has its security issues, so switching may remove this current risk but could expose you to another."
Did anyyone not read the last sentence?
Recommending Firefox seems unrealistic when any browser is vulnerable. If Firefox became the number one browser then malware writers would switch all their efforts into trying to exploit any weaknesses it has.
Graham Cluley of anti-virus firm Sophos made the statement.
Never used or saw any A/V from them, also with Firefox the add-ons may be unsigned but surely that is because it is open source?
NoScript is a good add-on the disable scripts embeded in web pages.
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Personally as a Firefox user I believe this so called warning is completely OTT and has been sensationalised by the BBC reporters.
The attacks referred to were those made against Google and which were, to quote Google, "extremely sophisticated" and directed at specific points of their infrastructure.
The ordinary user has no reason to fear
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Recommending Firefox seems unrealistic when any browser is vulnerable. If Firefox became the number one browser then malware writers would switch all their efforts into trying to exploit any weaknesses it has.
True, but at this moment in time Firefox isn`t the number 1 browser, so its likely to give you a better chance of greater security, Opera maybe even more so.
I don`t know what Browsers everyone uses, but would hazard a guess that most will use IE, because it came with the PC they use & they know no better? Its likely that many will still be running IE6?
Don't you think that using addins written by people you can't verify is not a security issue in itself ?
I can see your point with that comment its all Open Source, but if thats your view then I presume you have the same view of the Linux O/S which is also Open Source, which is a very secure O/S?
Still if folks wish to carry on using IE, thats their perogative, I`ll stick with Firefox, must have used it for 7 years now, hasn`t let me down yet.
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Personally as a Firefox user I believe this so called warning is completely OTT and has been sensationalised by the BBC reporters.
The attacks referred to were those made against Google and which were, to quote Google, "extremely sophisticated" and directed at specific points of their infrastructure.
Whilst I`d be tempted to agree with the sensationalised bit.
There is a comment made in the article....
"The way to exploit this flaw has now appeared on the internet, so it is quite possible that everyone is now going to have a go."
Now everyone who thinks their a hacker will be having a play....
Maybe more will come out?
After all Google said IIRC the security breech by the Chinese hackers were likely caused by a Phising attack & now this article says it was IE security flaws....
The ordinary user has no reason to fear
Thomas Baumgaertner, a spokesman for Microsoft in Germany, said
"There is no threat to the general user, consequently we do not support this warning,"
As to whether its a risk to normal users who knows, but thats a quote from a spokesman from MS Germany......now its highly unlikely MS will say otherwise!!!! They wouldn`t want folks to use other browsers....would they?
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Surely the REAL cause for concern should be what else you have protecting your computer ? You can't rely on just your browser, because even Firefox has had its fair share of security patches.
I'm quite bemused that people can worry so much about the choice of browser, and so little about what else they have on their system to prevent attack from outside. I'm not having a go at anyone in this thread in particular, but you only have to read the technical forum here for a week or so to realise that the majority have minimal firewalling.
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I agree with Nick29, downside and Falkryn,
And to quote stevieuk I can see your point with that comment its all Open Source, but if thats your view then I presume you have the same view of the Linux O/S which is also Open Source, which is a very secure O/S?
I agree with your question mark. From Wikipedia, two quotes:
Linux distributions are maintained by individuals, loose-knit teams, volunteer organizations, and commercial entities. A distribution is responsible for the default configuration of the installed Linux kernel, general system security, and more generally integration of the different software packages into a coherent whole
distributions may be specialized for different purposes including: computer architecture support, embedded systems, stability, security, localization to a specific region or language, targeting of specific user groups, etc.
So Linux in itself is not secure, it has to be made so, like IE, by people, just like people who work for IE.
What I am confident about is that with all the years of attack against the world's most popular browser, IE's software (and hardware design?) people are highly tuned to understanding new attacks and repelling them and I would prefer having people like them protecting my pc long term.
And what do we want from security? Just look at how easy it is for a simple-minded person to hack into the USA government's system; and how they are too cowardly to take the blame for the security holes of their own making so wish to extradite and prosecute the boy who said "look, the emperor has no clothes on"!
At the end of the day, security begins at home, how you browse and how you set your system up. I haven't had one trojan or other nasty since my daughters have grown up and left home ;D If you want to describe my browsing: call me boring but call me safe 8)
cheers, falcybe
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Surely the REAL cause for concern should be what else you have protecting your computer ? You can't rely on just your browser, because even Firefox has had its fair share of security patches.
I'm quite bemused that people can worry so much about the choice of browser, and so little about what else they have on their system to prevent attack from outside. I'm not having a go at anyone in this thread in particular, but you only have to read the technical forum here for a week or so to realise that the majority have minimal firewalling.
100% agreed.....
There is no excuse for not having Antivirus & Firewalls installed along with a few other anti Mallware & Anti spyware programs installed.........All are available for Free. Plus a bit of common sense which doesn`t cost anything either.... ;D
The Browser is just one part of your security, Yes Firefox has had a few scares, but they`ve been patched fairly quickly or a warning on how to stop the exploit whilst a patch/fix is brought out.
The choice of browser will always be a heated debate in the same way as Mac v PC, Windows v OSX v Linux, Ford v Vauxhall v other makes & so on & so forth....
But today at this moment there is a known security flaw with IE, so do you run at the highest setting on IE security (which isn`t a guarantee of safety) & lose functionallity or do you swap browser, personally I`d use a different browser until MS gets around to fixing the problem.... You can have as many browsers installed as you want.
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At the end of the day, security begins at home, how you browse and how you set your system up. I haven't had one trojan or other nasty since my daughters have grown up and left home ;D
Ditto...since our 2 lads left home...Sunday morning was always a run scan for Viri, Spyware etc on their PC...got real peeved off in the end..long story...but it did end, had a few Hissy fits/strops/slamming doors etc, but at least I could have a lay in on Sunday morning...never let them near my PC...
If you want to describe my browsing: call me boring but call me safe 8)
cheers, falcybe
I wouldn`t describe my browsing as Safe, but I don`t do Porn (in any form) or anything like that, I do frequent some sites that might be considered nefarious sites by some.
Steve
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Surely the REAL cause for concern should be what else you have protecting your computer ? You can't rely on just your browser, because even Firefox has had its fair share of security patches.
I'm quite bemused that people can worry so much about the choice of browser, and so little about what else they have on their system to prevent attack from outside. I'm not having a go at anyone in this thread in particular, but you only have to read the technical forum here for a week or so to realise that the majority have minimal firewalling.
100% agreed.....
There is no excuse for not having Antivirus & Firewalls installed along with a few other anti Mallware & Anti spyware programs installed.........All are available for Free. Plus a bit of common sense which doesn`t cost anything either.... ;D
The Browser is just one part of your security, Yes Firefox has had a few scares, but they`ve been patched fairly quickly or a warning on how to stop the exploit whilst a patch/fix is brought out.
The choice of browser will always be a heated debate in the same way as Mac v PC, Windows v OSX v Linux, Ford v Vauxhall v other makes & so on & so forth....
But today at this moment there is a known security flaw with IE, so do you run at the highest setting on IE security (which isn`t a guarantee of safety) & lose functionallity or do you swap browser, personally I`d use a different browser until MS gets around to fixing the problem.... You can have as many browsers installed as you want.
Totally agree with Stevie and Nick - it's all just part of your overall security strategy. It's like shopping - buyer beware - it is up to you to do all this. The downside is of course you need to be a bit techie - in a perfect world computer security would be like a fridge:
door opens, light comes on and beer be cold - that's all you should have to know. We forget this technology is but an infant, come back in 200 years and see what it's like - wish I could :-)
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I agree with Nick29, downside and Falkryn,
And to quote stevieuk I can see your point with that comment its all Open Source, but if thats your view then I presume you have the same view of the Linux O/S which is also Open Source, which is a very secure O/S?
I agree with your question mark. From Wikipedia, two quotes:
Linux distributions are maintained by individuals, loose-knit teams, volunteer organizations, and commercial entities. A distribution is responsible for the default configuration of the installed Linux kernel, general system security, and more generally integration of the different software packages into a coherent whole
distributions may be specialized for different purposes including: computer architecture support, embedded systems, stability, security, localization to a specific region or language, targeting of specific user groups, etc.
So Linux in itself is not secure, it has to be made so, like IE, by people, just like people who work for IE.
What I am confident about is that with all the years of attack against the world's most popular browser, IE's software (and hardware design?) people are highly tuned to understanding new attacks and repelling them and I would prefer having people like them protecting my pc long term.
cheers, falcybe
So I presume you feel Open Source Software is Insecure & a Risk?
People don`t work for IE....They work for Microsoft.
IE is Software, nowt to do with Hardware design.
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do you swap browser
No Steve, us IE8 users will carry on using our 'unsafe browser' and completely ignore the paranoid hysteria surrounding this over-the-top story. :)
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do you swap browser
No Steve, us IE8 users will carry on using our 'unsafe browser' and completely ignore the paranoid hysteria surrounding this over-the-top story. :)
I`m not telling anyone to change, just giving my honest opinion, I`m sure everyone is confident in Microsoft`s ability to protect them... ::)
Some stats..... seems IE isn`t the all conquering Browser....Been losing ground for a while....always downhill.... granted Firefox has a bit of a dip, but Chrome is out now.....It`ll be interesting to see what happens when Chrome O/S (think thats what it`ll be called?) is released, another alternative to MS`s O/S....
Worldwide
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-monthly-200812-201001
Europe
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-eu-monthly-200812-201001
Germany
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-DE-monthly-200812-201001
UK
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-GB-monthly-200812-201001
USA
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-US-monthly-200812-201001
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So Linux in itself is not secure it has to be made so
I'm not sure what that means but Unix/Linux is one of the safest operating systems in the world and few would disagree with that. It doesn't need to be made safe, because the people that wrote the original code made it safe right from its inception. Windows has been a dumbed down version of Unix/Linux for many years but it is finally trying to catch up in respect of system security. Of course Linux does not have a C drive and most users do not login as Root (Administrator) so when they are browsing there is no need to worry about malware because it is written to run in a Windows environment. VB script and other Windows type of code doesn't work on Linux and even if you could download some Linux script you would still need to logged on as Root to run it.
The easy way to make any computer secure when surfing the Internet is to launch a browser using a limited user account rather than run it with Administration privileges.
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do you swap browser
No Steve, us IE8 users will carry on using our 'unsafe browser' and completely ignore the paranoid hysteria surrounding this over-the-top story. :)
Quite. And before anyone can hack this IE8 browser, it has to get through my firewall first :)
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Just used this to check my connection: http://www.speedtest.net/index.php?nojs=1
Gave my $79.99, ADSL, Telstra connection a 2.6/5 rating.
Go Telstra! >:(
Jamjar
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I use Firefox because I like the layout of it.
However, it has a problem opening large PDF files and I always have to use IE 8 to open them. So, it's useful having both.
Jamjar
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First Germany now France, who next????
France joins Germany warning against Internet Explorer
France has echoed calls by the German government for web users to find an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) to protect security.
Certa, a government agency that oversees cyber threats, warned against using all versions of the web browser.
Link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8465038.stm
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So far, Microsoft "has not seen widespread customer impact, rather only targeted and limited attacks exploiting Internet Explorer 6".
Cliff Evans, head of security and privacy, said that so far the firm had only seen malicious code that targeted the older version of its browser, IE6.
"The risk is minimal," he said.
I like they way they say don't use Internet Explorer - but they don't recommend an alternative browser either.
It's like watching Dumb and Dumber. :)
I admire Microsoft's laidback approach - they might release a patch on 9th February but we are not committing ourselves at this stage.
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This bit is obviously the best advice ::) Given that HM Government seems to have had very little success where anything IT is concerned....
The UK government had said that it would not issue a similar warning. However, it said the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI)was "monitoring the situation" and would "publish further advice if the risks change".
Confidence inspiring stuff.... :-X
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Another warning.... from PC world ;D
dont_kill_the_messenger_blaming_ie_for_attacks_is_dangerous
http://www.rootschat.com/links/07vw/
Thank-you, Downside for confirming a few posts up that what I had read in Wiki was not too clever :)
cheers, falcybe
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Has no one been tempted to to mention this?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8469632.stm
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A patch was bound to come along - even if only to assuage those gullible enough to fall for the original hype as the publicity was probably more damaging than the original flaw.
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Seems a patch is available...... ;D
But theres another exploit out there.. which Microsoft is looking into & may or may not offer a patch for out of cycle.....Oh dear the Magic Roundabout starts again...Boing...Time for Bed...
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The cumulative security update for IE6 called KB978207 has now been released.
Panic over!
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The cumulative security update for IE6 called KB978207 has now been released.
Panic over!
It is? ;D
What about IE8?
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It only affects IE6.
I think the reason why this problem started is because over 90% of the copies of Windows XP in China are pirate copies and they are shipped with IE6. In theory you cannot update to IE7 without passing a WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) check, hence the reason so many Chinese users are still using IE6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Genuine_Advantage#WGA_in_China
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Might explain why there is still such a high useage of IE6, noticable Firefox users are more likely to upgrade than IE. If you look at browser versions then Firefox 3.5 is now the most used browser (just)
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-ww-monthly-200812-201001
Robert
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IETab - so if some web sites insist on being opened in IE, you can open them in a tab if Firefox, and not have to fire up IE
Beth
Hi Beth...
Not sure what you mean by this but I hate having to go and open IE to open up some sites. How do you do it?
I'm trying out Chrome at the moment (which is quite nice and does initially open much quicker than Firefox which is why I have stayed with it) but may go back to Firefox if this IE thing works.
Milly ;D
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It only affects IE6.
I think the reason why this problem started is because over 90% of the copies of Windows XP in China are pirate copies and they are shipped with IE6. In theory you cannot update to IE7 without passing a WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) check, hence the reason so many Chinese users are still using IE6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Genuine_Advantage#WGA_in_China
The original exploit was aimed at IE 6, but there was suspision that it could affect 7 & 8.
The original exploit has since been re-worked & can be used against IE8, Microsoft is looking at the problem.........& the KB978207 doesn`t patch this new exploit.... hence my comment.
Interesting arguement about, pirate XP & China.......I don`t think theres much to argue on China likely to have over 90% pirated XP on PCs.
Its relatively simple to get over WGA & pass the check, I know for a fact its easy & installing IE7 is easy too, along with up dating Media Player, pirated Office 2007 updates easy enough as well all done through Microsofts site.
Its the really big companies that keep IE6 in use & a comment I read made a bit of sense as to why.....the UK Government still use IE6 in some areas, maybe most?
Google were obviously using IE6, as must Adobe & the other 30 companies mentioned in relation to the exploit, I doubt that they`d be running pirate copies of XP.
Your theory is interesting, but I`d suspect most Chinese would have bypassed WGA & upgraded to IE7 etc...I might be wrong?
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Google were obviously using IE6, as must Adobe & the other 30 companies mentioned in relation to the exploit, I doubt that they`d be running pirate copies of XP.
Google wouldn't have been using anything, the exploit allowed the attack by gaining control of other people's machines, in the same way that viruses allow other people's machines to post spam emails. To be quite frank, anyone still using IE6 really is asking for trouble - it's no longer a fully supported product, and IE8 is much more secure. There really is no valid reason to use it any more.
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Looking at something I find quite worrying where Microsoft is concerned, is the following. It refers to the exploit in question in this thread.
Microsoft was originally made aware of this vulnerability in August 2009 and confirmed its severity in September 2009.
Now if MS have known about this for months, then why didn`t they do something about it sooner?
This IE security update was already planned for release on the next scheduled Patch Tuesday (9 February), Jerry Bryant, senior security program manager at Microsoft, said in a blog post.
If the security update was planned for release 9th Feb, then that would imply they had the patch already or do they leave things until the week before the usual monthly updates are required before building/making/testing & whatever these patches?
If MS already had the patch, then surely they should have released it immediately not almost a month after the attacks on Google, Adobe & 30 other companies, I`m sure a few questions will start to be asked.
Something isn`t right with this. I must be missing something?
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Hi Beth...
Not sure what you mean by this but I hate having to go and open IE to open up some sites. How do you do it?
Milly ;D
Go to Tools - Add-ons - Get more Add-ons - Search All Recommended Add-ons. Find IE View & install it. It lets you load pages in IE with a single right-click, or mark certain sites to always load in IE.
If on the add-ons front page you searh for IE in all add-ons it will come up with a number of other add-ons that do similar things but IE View & IE View Lite are the most frequently used.
Robert
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Something isn`t right with this. I must be missing something?
No one is really worried about it as it does not pose a great threat to mankind. :)
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Looking at something I find quite worrying where Microsoft is concerned, is the following. It refers to the exploit in question in this thread.
Microsoft was originally made aware of this vulnerability in August 2009 and confirmed its severity in September 2009.
Now if MS have known about this for months, then why didn`t they do something about it sooner?
This IE security update was already planned for release on the next scheduled Patch Tuesday (9 February), Jerry Bryant, senior security program manager at Microsoft, said in a blog post.
If the security update was planned for release 9th Feb, then that would imply they had the patch already or do they leave things until the week before the usual monthly updates are required before building/making/testing & whatever these patches?
If MS already had the patch, then surely they should have released it immediately not almost a month after the attacks on Google, Adobe & 30 other companies, I`m sure a few questions will start to be asked.
Something isn`t right with this. I must be missing something?
You're missing something - when you patch a program, chances are that you will create a "bug" when you do it, so it has to be tested before release. The patch writing and testing can take several weeks. This is how hackers can always stay one step ahead, because it all takes time.
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You're missing something - when you patch a program, chances are that you will create a "bug" when you do it, so it has to be tested before release. The patch writing and testing can take several weeks. This is how hackers can always stay one step ahead, because it all takes time.
Theres a slight difference between several weeks & 5 months.
How about a 17 year old flaw in Windows? ;D
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This is the corporate world we're talking about...... nothing happens fast, because everyone is busy attending brain storming sessions, daily meetings, Health & Safety lectures and team-building exercises. That leaves them just enough time to read and reply to their emails before they all go home again. Ahh, the joys of working for a corporation ! ;D
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Thanks Robert - will try it out
Milly ;D
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Goodbye IE6.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8488751.stm
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I believe the warning was only against older versions of Internet Explorer. If you make sure to upgrade to the latest version then you will be fine. But if you are looking for another browser then Firefox is definiately the best.
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According to Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector), IE8 is still insecure and currently there is no solution. This is despite this weeks updates. Unless you have any strong preference for IE8 I would definitely switch to Mozilla Firefox.
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I believe the warning was only against older versions of Internet Explorer. If you make sure to upgrade to the latest version then you will be fine. But if you are looking for another browser then Firefox is definiately the best.
I disagree. I have tried all the others, and the one I always come back to is IE. IE is the only browser that seems to cope with complex pages like the Ancestry site.
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According to Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector), IE8 is still insecure and currently there is no solution. This is despite this weeks updates. Unless you have any strong preference for IE8 I would definitely switch to Mozilla Firefox.
There's a simple solution - use an effective firewall. Don't rely on a browser to give your computer the security it needs.
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I believe the warning was only against older versions of Internet Explorer. If you make sure to upgrade to the latest version then you will be fine. But if you are looking for another browser then Firefox is definiately the best.
I disagree. I have tried all the others, and the one I always come back to is IE. IE is the only browser that seems to cope with complex pages like the Ancestry site.
I can`t say I`ve had any problems with complex sites & using Firefox, The Ancestry site seems fine to me.
IE is only necessary on sites that aren`t coded correctly or was it that they were coded for IE, IE didn`t conform to standards (dunno if it does now?). Firefox & other browsers followed international standards & when they see a badly/incorrectly coded page they don`t display the page correctly.
IE8 is still vulnerable to a recoded version of the original exploit & there is also another exploit (different to the original one in this thread) out there which affects IE (including IE8). There is also a 17year old exploit recently discovered which affects ALL versions of Window upto Win7. Microsoft is aware of these new exploits & is looking into them....I won`t hold my breath on a fix anytime soon.. ::)
It comes down to personal choice of browsers, I`m still of the opinion that Firefox, Opera, Chrome or other browsers will make people slightly safer whilst browsing, at least for the time being. Its very easy for those like you & I, who are very aware & fairly technically knowledgable to use our experience to avoid pitfalls, but others aren`t, so its IMHO better they use a different browser.
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According to Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector), IE8 is still insecure and currently there is no solution. This is despite this weeks updates. Unless you have any strong preference for IE8 I would definitely switch to Mozilla Firefox.
I`d go along with that....But would add there are other browsers available as well, Opera & Google Chrome to name a couple.
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There is also a 17year old exploit recently discovered which affects ALL versions of Window upto Win7.
That's news to me ! Can you post a link on this one, please ?
I can`t say I`ve had any problems with complex sites & using Firefox, The Ancestry site seems fine to me.
IE7/8 is the only browser which seems to display the Ancestry Ancestor Profile pages correctly - on other browsers the line spacing is often wrong. I had so many problems trying to get the Advanced Census Page Viewer to work on Firefox, I eventually gave up. My friends have had similar experiences.
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There is also a 17year old exploit recently discovered which affects ALL versions of Window upto Win7.
That's news to me ! Can you post a link on this one, please ?
I can`t say I`ve had any problems with complex sites & using Firefox, The Ancestry site seems fine to me.
IE7/8 is the only browser which seems to display the Ancestry Ancestor Profile pages correctly - on other browsers the line spacing is often wrong. I had so many problems trying to get the Advanced Census Page Viewer to work on Firefox, I eventually gave up. My friends have had similar experiences.
Link to one such story about the 17 year old exploit, not the original one I read, its easily overcome for techies...Not the most critical problem.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/01/microsoft-investigates-17-year-old-windows-flaw.ars
As to Ancestry, can a non-member view the page, is there a specific link? I`m not a member & don`t have a sub.
Sorry to be brief, but I`ve got a bit of stuff to do to my PC, 2 removable SATA Caddies to go in, a PCI SATA card to fit (so I can fit 7 SATA HDDs), Win7 Pro, XP, & a couple of Linux Distros to install........hopefully all will go well & I`ll be back later.
Steve
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It's OK, thanks for the link - very interesting :)
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It's OK, thanks for the link - very interesting
Realistically, it does not pose much of a threat if no one has managed to spot it in 17 years. ::)
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I'd say that it's a threat that's fast diminishing, given the number of people that I come across these days who are conversant with MS-DOS :)
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I'd say that it's a threat that's fast diminishing, given the number of people that I come across these days who are conversant with MS-DOS :)
But to do certain things on Windows, it may be necessary to access Dos.
It's OK, thanks for the link - very interesting
Realistically, it does not pose much of a threat if no one has managed to spot it in 17 years. ::)
...Not the most critical problem.
........
Steve
As I said....see emboldened text...
Nevertheless an exploit....
Nick asked a question I just supplied an answer.....
Microsoft need to come out with a proper ALL new O/S & stop thinking "We must make sure it works with all previous MS O/S`s", but they won`t....
But IE is still vulnerable & will remain so until MS get off their backsides & fix it.....
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I can`t say I`ve had any problems with complex sites & using Firefox, The Ancestry site seems fine to me.
IE7/8 is the only browser which seems to display the Ancestry Ancestor Profile pages correctly - on other browsers the line spacing is often wrong. I had so many problems trying to get the Advanced Census Page Viewer to work on Firefox, I eventually gave up. My friends have had similar experiences.
Can't say I have any such problem with Firefox and Ancestry or other "complex pages".
IE8 has problems with quite a number of pages, including Dick Eastman's Genealogy Newsletter. They can only be viewed using "Compatibility View" i.e. IE7 emulation. This could get worse as it appears that Microsoft may be dropping support for all the Front Page/IE only quirks that caused problems for other browsers.
Robert
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IE8 has problems with quite a number of pages, including Dick Eastman's Genealogy Newsletter. They can only be viewed using "Compatibility View" i.e. IE7 emulation. This could get worse as it appears that Microsoft may be dropping support for all the Front Page/IE only quirks that caused problems for other browsers.
Robert
I guess this will mean a lot of web sites will have to ensure that they conform to International standards then?
Could prove interesting... ::)
Steve