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CERT Recommends Mozilla, Firefox
EvilStein writes "According to this article, "CERT recommends that Explorer users consider other browsers that are not affected by the attack, such as Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape and Opera."
Quite a statement from CERT - this is related to a fairly recent IIS or IE exploit that has already affected some high traffic web sites, such as the Kelley Blue Book website."
Mac, Linux and other non-Windows operating systems are immune from this attack.
At least he said "this attack" instead of "attacks".
Good recommendation from CNET. I am a windows user (mostly) and get a chance to use unix boxes only at work. if using a web-browser, IE was the default choice since it's bundled with windows. I installed opera, netscape but they had issues loading a couple of webpages. I then tried mozilla but it was too slow. I then tried avant browser and it worked wonders albeit for a short period of time. The popup's were still coming, and there isn't a shortcut for opening a new tab. Finally, I moved on to Firefox 0.8 and 95% of the time, I am a die-hard user of firefox.
I now use IE only to open my native language webpages since they aren't encoded properly in firefox. I would be grateful to anyone if they can show me how to open www.eenadu.net in Firefox. The native language is Telugu, if anyone needs it
V
Yes. But now it is easier for me to go to my boss and recommend we move all browsers to Mozilla. He used to think Internet Explorer == Internet. I have shown him the way.
There are first malicious programmers that try to infiltrate mozilla users. An example ist http://xxxtoolbar.com/ (sexually explicit!) that tries to install an "toolbar" per XPI. Fortunately this needs an Win32 system and a users who clicks without thinking.
Have you ever seen an signed mozilla extension?
and send it registered mail to your bank. Notify them that continued use of insecure servers, and requiring you as a customer to use an insecure webrowser, could lead to a compromise of your personal data and a direct loss. It's not a threat, just a stement of actual, probable data. And if such an event occurs, that you would consider taking legal action against them. Maybe that will get their attention. And if you are a stockholder in the bank, or have a valuable mortgage there, or other serious busines, it's even worse.
I don't do online banking but if I did and that was part of it,forcing me to *use* grade c products, and having to *trust* grade c products, at a place that HAS to consider "security threats" over almost anything else, I would have long ago called up and kvetched about it or sent a missive along the lines I have outlined.
Think about it, how many people would trust a bank if it had no doors, it was running in the seediest section of town with obvious scoundrels hanging around the entrance, the vault was open,no security guard in sight, and if they forced you to come in blindfolded, turn over the keys to your car to one of the characters hanging around the opening where no door is, and to trust whatever happened then to you and your money as you came and went? No one would put up with that, but in the cyberworld, that is *exactly* what is going on all the time with these insecure out of the box office/internet "products" from that convicted monopolist corporation and with their co-opted and faked out business "partners". You would THINK after the 983rd time something like this happened that they would have bought a clue or two. And it just gets worse, all the time, it hasn't gotten any better, just the exploits get better, and paying for the privelege of getting exploited costs more.
Good idea for a geek cyberbank, BTW, that runs only better quality open source, and refuses entrance with explorer browser, and gives a helpful page where to get the alternatives. Niche market, but I bet it would get decent business over-all.
Write to their feedback page, letters to the editor, or ombudsman. Tell them: 1) their failure to mention that this only affects Windows users running IE needlessly worries people using other OSes and browsers, and 2) their failure to mention alternative browsers means they missed an opportunity to assist the general public on an important matter.
I did. I also did this a couple of years ago when some Windows virus came out (can't remember which one -- there are so many) and CNN failed to mention it was a Windows-only problem. The next time a major virus came out (I think it was a few weeks), I noticed that CNN actually mentioned that non-Windows users were not at risk.
Obviously, we need to keep reminding them.
Oh, and if you do, be polite!!!
(And if you already did, then good for you! And my apologies for implying you didn't.)
Gates fussy over security in Sydney
Couple of choice quotes:
"The Microsoft co-founder and one of the world's richest men is in Sydney today for a press appearance so tightly scripted and controlled it could have been orchestrated by US President George W. Bush's media office."
"At least the assembled do not have to submit their retinas or fingerprints for scanning - possibly because Microsoft can't come to grips with good security."
"Those running the market-leading open source Apache web server, who use desktop operating systems such as Mac OS X or GNU/Linux, or Windows web browsers other than Explorer (such as Opera or Mozilla) were inoculated from the virus."
There's quite a bit more, all fun reading.
Hal Spacejock: Science Fiction with Nuts