German government warns against using MS Explorer

[downside]

"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.

[Nick29]

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 ?

[charlotteCH]

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

[Arranroots]

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!

 

[charlotteCH]

It's probably quite a sensible idea to use a dedicated browser for banking and use it for nothing else.

charlotte

[Wul]

"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.

[RJ_Paton]

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

[stevieuk]

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.

[stevieuk]

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?