One From The Houston Chronicle says once again, users of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser have been warned that digital evildoers have exploited a security problem with that software. The alert du jour issued last week was particularly alarming because, unlike past malicious programs that targeted Windows or Internet Explorer flaws, there’s no patch for this one. Try Mozilla or Firefox, you’ll be pleasantly suprised!
The Mysterious Search Engines Guy also shared Google feels spyware strains a somewhat related article on how Google is an attractive target for spyware makers out to hitch a ride to ad-related profits.
We already have…
We’ve already quit using IE at my library. Apparently, someone managed to infect a computer with some trojan off another infected website that compromised one of the many truck sized holes in IE security. Our IT guy, normally a laid back guy, said “That’s it! No more Internet Explorer, period!”
So mostly we use Mozilla, a couple use Firefox, I use Firefox and Opera. Course I’m using a Linux system so IE isn’t exactly an issue for me there.
bad. REAL BAD.9 /. about BHO’s targeting banking customers.
http://isc.incidents.org/diary.php?date=2004-06-2
from
I knew this was going to happen.
The internet is killing itself. Or actually, Microsoft is…
Re:bad. REAL BAD.
The internet is killing itself. Or actually, Microsoft is…
Like the beast in “Hotel California” it can’t be killed, but someone might succeed in causing it to mutate in some horrible way.
Re:bad. REAL BAD.
The Internet is not killing itself, nor is Microsoft.
The better browser(s) will simply gain market share until MSIE becomes a minor player. It may take some time as the luddites and those afraid of the Internet (who were done a great disservice by vendors and manufacturers who made things seem hard to sell services and unneeded hardware) need to be brought up to speed.
This is one of the tasks with which today’s librarian need be concerned.
security in diversity?
The biggest company is going to be the biggest target. Can Mozilla guarantee security when hackers go after it? Will a variety of browser products mean less chance of a security breach or less chance of repair because each company will not have the resources of Microsoft? Or both?
Re:We already have…
Personally, I can’t stand IE, and would love to install a better browser like Mozilla on the patron computers at my library. (I already use it on my computer at the ref desk.)
The only reason I haven’t done so is that, since IE it so inextricably tied into Windows, I can lock it down tightly using a System Policy, so that the patrons can’t mess with the settings, change the homepage, view each others’ history, etc.
Is there a way to do this with Mozilla? Has your IT guy done so at your library? If so, I would make the switch in a nanosecond.