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Computer newbies: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by ereedks - 6/23/04 11:37 PM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDLarry, I am a graduate in computer science. As I have several times mentioned to Bob at this site, don't ever think Mozilla is safe. Our instructor used Mozilla as an example of how vulnerabilities can be exploited. Atleast Microsoft patches their problems.
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by Peter Reaper - 11/26/04 1:43 AM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by ereedks> At least Microsoft patches their problems.
Mozilla not only patches their (few) vulnerabilities, it does is MUCH faster than MS.
To add insult to (your) injury, IE has many MORE vulnerabilities than Mozilla.
IE: 69 Secunia Advisories (http://secunia.com/product/11/)
Firefox: 0 Secunia Advisories (http://secunia.com/product/4227/)
"Use a different web browser" (http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/713878)
"Recent security failings in Internet Explorer have caused experts (Including the United States Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team) to recommend that consumers stop using Internet Explorer and switch to other browsers."
http://www.mozilla.org/security/security-announcement.html
Facts can be so ... "reality based". 
Are you really a graduate in computer science? Does your school give refunds?
Now go download Firefox, quick! (http://www.GetFirefox.com)
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by phattdaddy - 6/24/04 4:06 PM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDThus far Grif Thomas has supplied the most appropriate answer to this seemingly endless debate on the downside of IE.
1. It is indeed a matter of preference as to which
program works best for a particular person.
2. With patience and practicality it is possible to
ring fence most of the inherent problems created by
MS.
3. Given the number of anti virus programs available
on the Web it is also possible to protect your Pc
from external attack.
4. Given the nature of a human being, that if you
continue to read bad reviews about a program, you
will of course begin to believe them.
Knee jerk reaction sets in and the program is
thrown out with the bathwater.
5. With the help of C-Net XP forums and several erudite
postings from members I have managed to take IE to
a state where it runs smoothly and to a high degree
of satisfaction.
6. Please remember I am not saying that IE is the be
all and end all of programs. It has both good and
bad attributes which require taming which can
only be done with patience, due diligence and a
lot of help from forum members plus a hell of a lot
of trial and error.
Thanks Larry for provoking this discussion.
Nothing is more expensive than regret--So Do It. TGB
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by gearup - 6/27/04 1:55 PM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by phattdaddyBut why bother to go to all that trouble when you can download and use other browsers at little or no cost?
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by phattdaddy - 6/29/04 5:12 PM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by gearupMaybe it is because I was brought up in the old school to question why? and if possible to fix things that do not work. Then, if this is beyond my limitations to fix that which is wrong, then to seek out those who have a greater expertise than mine to help me solve the problem, therefore extending my understanding of trouble shooting.
I am aware that there are other programs out there
that do work, and if this is your choice who am I to deny you that choice, but in the end what if there are no more programs out there for people to run to?
What then?
"A stone unturned is knowledge lost" TgB
Read todays newspaper if you can
by gearup - 6/30/04 2:25 PM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by phattdaddyThere has been a new vulnerability being taken advantage of in IE. This one is bad enough to have press releases from Microsoft. News articles are advising people to use another browser till problem is solved!
Heres a url or one such article!
http://www.newsday.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=Microsoft&target=article
Re: Read todays newspaper if you can
by phattdaddy - 7/1/04 9:33 PM In reply to: Read todays newspaper if you can by gearupThat mornings newspapers were read and the first article on IE was duly noted before posting. Also have read the latest press release dated 30:06:04 you have noted. Also the same gloom doom and despondency press release on the 07:01:04
The wording changes but the same old problem remains.
Life is fine, if you dont allow the waves to rock the boat! TgB
ActiveX is Internet Explorer's Achiles' Heel of security
by IRQL_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO - 11/26/04 2:04 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDIt's ActiveX that's the main culprit for security problems related to IE. ActiveX is very dangerous as there is no restriction on the control's actions. ActiveX can execute withour your knowledge or permission. It's a magnet for spyware, trojans, viruses and other malware. Safe For Scripting is not as safe as you might want to believe. Controls marked as safe for scripting are dangerous by themselves. Add zones to the mix and the risk increases.
Now, the Blaster worm has nothing to do with Internet Explorer per se. It pertains to DCOM/RPC (Distributed COM services) listening on TPC port 135. The DCOM interface was and could still be vulnerable to attacks.
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by KX36 - 11/26/04 4:01 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDMost people are far too paranoid about hackers and viruses. Think about it.. why would anyone want to hack you (assuming you are the average home PC user)
If you are a teenager, you probably have friends who want to copy the films and be a "hacker". So that puts you slightly at risk, but only from your friends.
If you use a filesharing network like kazaa, you are at a higher risk, because people put random viruses in there disguised as other things, with no particular target in mind. Any good antivirus programme will sort out 99% of these though.
Basicaly, if you're the sort of person who knows so little that you're consider viruses a real threat, then you're probably the sort of person least at risk.
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by MichaelF - 11/26/04 6:11 AM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by KX36"Basicaly, if you're the sort of person who knows so little that you're consider viruses a real threat, then you're probably the sort of person least at risk."
You seem very naive, viruses have exploded this year with one company I provide computing services for seeing a weekly increase from 7 to 800 viruses EVERY WEEK. Their virus checker stops most of these but you have to be very diligent and you "know so little" then you may not be so diligent.
These uneducated ussually have a lot of spyware/adware clogging up and making their system slow and unstable, are drowning in spam and often are infected by viruses. The best and easiest way for these people to be more secure is to use a secure browser like firefox. Using this browser will virtually eliminate spyware/adware from getting back on your system, thereby reducing the need for a newbie to learn how to use spybot or adaware.
Michael
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by keyhoti - 11/26/04 6:56 AM In reply to: Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by MichaelFThought I'd add to my previous post, having read some others.
Anecdotally:
I am 61 and never imagined that I would get a computer, until I got persuaded about about eighteen months ago ... and went into a rapid learning curve.
Yes I have had a few problems, but have never yet got a virus or trojan ... I did get a dialler once, due to ignorant web-surfing, and I have had various unwelcome tracking cookies and attempts at introducing sundry other unwelcome products; but I cannot see what all the fuss is about.
At the risk of advertising:
I have McAfee Firewall and Virus Scan, Spybot, Ad-Aware/Ad-Watch, System and Internet Washer and RegistryHealer installed.
I regularly use these utilities and frequently use XP stuff like Disk Clean and Defrag ... and my system is squeaky-clean, though I use IE mostly for searching, aided by Google.
In short: what is all the fuss about.
If some old bugger like me can manage, then why can't others?
Regards, keyhoti/Gerry Hiles
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by keyhoti - 11/26/04 6:22 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDLet's be logical about this:
IE is the most popular vehicle and so attracts the most attacks.
I suggest that if most people switched to Mozilla, or whatever, then hackers (and so on) would also switch their focus of attention ... after all, currently, what would be the point of attacking lesser targets? Who would get a buzz out of that?
I am not keen on the idea of a monopoly - which Microsoft arguably is already - but I see no evidence that Microsoft is merely sitting on its laurels and doing nothing about vulnerabilities!
I cannot imagine that any knee-jerk reaction to short-comings will fix problems ... just transfer them to Mozilla, or whatever. (And a question is: "Do others have the resources to constantly try to combat the renegades who will try to undermine any system?)
I repeat: let's be logical about this issue.
Regards, keyhoti/Gerry Hiles
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by raymond nunez - 11/26/04 6:24 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDhello, my son left me his sys so we could talk to each other oversea, my ? i am very new with this stuff,and i have window xp, all i want to do is ckeck on my son and family that they are ok, do i need to get something diff ???, lost in this high te world,,papasmurff
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by LilBambi - 11/26/04 6:42 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDThank you LarryD and others who wisely point out the security risks inherent with using a browser that is so tightly integrated with the operating system. Many folks truly do not know there is an alternative.
The Internet is a dangerous place, and it is hard to tell the good from the bad and a simple curiosity click could end up where you REALLY do not wish to be or end up with some malicious code being installed on your computer without your knowledge.
There was a time when it wasn't that way; when clicking for curiosity's sake was rewarded with new knowledge, or finding something of value. Now you risk getting drive-by installations on your PC -- in reward for that curiosity. With the latest Internet Explorer vulnerabilities, that can even happen when going to sites you are familiar with if the server itself is hacked.
If you lock IE down to the point where it is pretty much safe to use, it is as useless as some folks claim other browsers are and still not safe from drive-by installations that take advantage of buffer overflow vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer.
As others have pointed out, there are many more security issues with Internet Explorer than with alternative browser choices for whatever reason, and there are many that were explored here.
Many folks however use programs like Intuit's programs or McAfee's programs that will not work properly if you do not have IE as your default browser. It's a fact of life. I do not use programs that require Internet Explorer to be the default browser, but others have been using them a long time and they like them alot. In those cases, I recommend keeping IE as default but when they are simply browsing to click on the Firefox icon for browsing.
We are lucky that we have some alternatives to Internet Explorer and good ones. My personal preference is Firefox 1.0 -- you really don't need the Internet Explorer for anything except Windows Updates and a small handful of websites. And even among them, not all pages work incorrectly in Firefox. I have found that certain pages don't work right with cox.net, but others including their webmail work fine in Firefox and Mozilla.
I also install the plugins available specifically for Firefox and Mozilla. Some plugins that are already on your system will work with Firefox and Mozilla with no additional help; such as Adobe's Acrobat Reader (be sure to have the latest version and security patches installed for Acrobat Reader too). For other items like Flash, a separate flash plugin must be installed for Mozilla products.
Whether you change to an alternative browser or not, there is compelling evidence when it comes to new users.
I personally have seen so many new users with paperweights within a few short months of owning their cool new PC -- and this only started happening to this degree within the last 6 months to a year. All of these new PC owners used MS's Internet with Internet Explorer for surfing the Web and using Outlook Express for email, or they signed up with AOL to access the Internet for browsing and email, etc.
Some of these computers had to be totally reinstalled from scratch, others took hours to get the malware (malicious ware) off their computers. The facts speak for themselves. IMHO (in my humble opinion).
Hope this helps a few new users.
Re: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer***
by jeff_j_black - 11/26/04 6:47 AM In reply to: ***READ THIS if you use Internet Explorer*** by LarryDVulnerabilities in Windows and Internet Explorer make headlines on even network TV and print news, but nobody seems to broadcast anything about the vulnerabilities found in open source and alternate browsers. Hook yourself up with the RSS feed: http://www.securityfocus.com/rss/vulnerabilities.xml and you will find that just about anything you can imagine and some things you didn't even know exist, have vulnerabilities.
Yes Windows and IE are a big target right now. As other platforms become more popular, they will become more of a target. More and more, virus, worm and trojan activity are focusing on potential criminal activity, stealing personal data from you. So if you were a burglar would you break into homes in a sparsley populated rural area or in upscale subdivisions? If you were writing malicious code you would craft it for the largest target.
The responsible computer user should pick a platform based on the vendor's concerted efforts to keep up with vulnerabilites, communicate these to the users and use a highly available means to distribute patches.
By the way, Blaster had nothing to do with Internet Explorer. Then weakest link in the chain in any computer system is the user. Keep your systems patched, update your antivirus daily, use a spyware remover. Start thinking along the lines of using the Internet is like driving a car. It is not just something people should do without some education, insurance and precaution. Safe Internet use and safe computing is a responsibility. People who open unexpected attachments or click on links in emails from unknown senders are irresponsible. Be responsible!!!
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