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Microsoft's IE Is the Most Targeted Application By Security Researchers
darthcamaro writes "Though Microsoft hasn't yet patched its Internet Explorer web browser in 2014, it did patch IE at least once every month in 2013. According to HP's 2013 Cyber Risk Report, more researchers tried to sell IE vulnerabilities than any other product vulnerability. 'IE is the most prevalent browser on the systems that attackers want to compromise' said Jacob West, CTO of HP's Enterprise Security Group."
IE is such a piece of crap to start with and that most users use it because it's there by default and they don't know any better (Which is a security issue in itself). Of course most Hac**** sorry I mean security researchers are targeting MS & IE. Just wait for MS to die off then we'll see them targeting Apple, Android and whoever the next big thing is.
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
Just a short while ago there was a Slashdot story that IE now had only single-digit market share. Which seems to be in stark contradiction to what is said in this story. Are we now saying those numbers were not really that close to reality, but we went with them anyway?
Has anything changed?
The low level coders on the ie team did a good job with graphics performance in IE9. Don't tar them with the same brush as the idiot management/marketing layer who think fancy features and bloat are more important than building a secure product from the ground up to start with (and I'm talking about the browser and OS)
Turning off scripting in the security zone breaks all web sites that use scripts and people should have CONTROL on what is allowed to run on their machines.
They do. They have CONTROL over what OS and applications they install/support/buy/use.
In a work environment it's not under their control, but it is under the control of the very same department that is responsible for system security. It's not rocket science (though getting through to the people with the budgets is often a difficult task).
'IE is the most prevalent browser on the systems that attackers want to compromise'
..
IE on Windows is the easiest system for attackers to compromise
'IE is the most prevalent browser on the systems that attackers want to compromise' IE on Windows is the easiest system for attackers to compromise ..
For a number of years Safari on OSX has been the easiest system for hackers to compromise in Pwn2Own.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/secu...
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2...
Its clear that IE 10 and IE 11 improved on security. But with so many still using XP and even some using Vista. Both of which cannot run either IE10 or IE11. Microsoft has created a large group of Windows users who simply cannot use a secure IE. The fact enterprise is a big part of XP users also means they are most likely using IE8 or IE9 rather then a more secure and modern browser like Firefox or Chrome. I am not a IE hater but think for many reasons including security. Microsoft should disconnect IE from the OS. Or simply retire IE altogether.
Ha. I always cringe when black hat crackers are called "security researchers". That's not research, it's malicious destroying of other people's systems and data.
Easiest to compromise? Or on the computer that they most wanted to win? The fist contestant to pwn a system gets to own it - that's the point of the contest - and Safari happened to be on the most expensive computer, so the contestants targeted it first to improve their chances at getting the best prize.
I love this arguments that pops up to explain the poor results for Safari and OSX in Pwn2Own. They winner also win 20.000 USD, but obviously they went for the hardest target, risking their win and those $20k by not taking the easiest route, because they sooo wanted the shiny Macbook.. Not to mind that Charlie Miller, amongst others, have gone in great detail in interviews on why Safari on OSX is easiest to compromise, but those are details lost on many.
Yeah , great idea - sell one of the units making a profit!
Typical short term hedgefund approach to companies - earn us some money now by selling off collateral then we'll dump your shares before they tank. Fucking parasites.
...from the feckingobvious department, that yellow disc in the sky is the sun. Slow news day or something guys?
#include <sig.h>
'IE is the most prevalent browser on the systems that attackers want to compromise' said Jacob West, CTO of HP's Enterprise Security Group."
Supposedly, Chrome is now the most popular browser going. If Windows is the majority desktop (and it is), then chrome must be the most prevalent browser on it.
So, why attack IE? Ease of breaking into.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Going back to what the summary says, IE is usually present on the systems _that haxors want to compromise_.
Corporate machines, which have IE because they are chained to legacy systems that once required it.
Corporate machiens, where access is available to much more valuable data than some grandma's Hotmail password.
Or is there some other reason why it is ridiculous?
Yes, it is ridiculous.
w3schools is as good as any other site.
No, it definitely isn't. w3schools is representative of the tastes of generally tech-inclined people and even there it's only representative of the people visiting that single site. eBay, for example, is used by both tech-inclined people and the luddites and therefore it would be a much better gauge for browser-share, however it would still only track browser-share on eBay's sites. The link that I gave you, however, tracks browser-share across multiple sites and networks and places IE at 22.85% share. You'd be a moron not to see why tracking browser-share only on a single, tech-oriented website that no luddites will ever visit is not going to be representative of the overall market.
IE is an assortment of exploits flying in close formation.
Help stamp out iliturcy.