France/Germany Warn Against Microsoft Internet Explorer
I often wonder why so many people still use Internet Explorer (IE). I suppose most people just think it is the only option considering that it is installed on a Windows computer when it arrives. It is also forced on many who have their Automatic Updates set up to auto-install themselves. So if you don’t look at what is coming you probably end up with a new download of IE every time they deem it necessary to give you one instead of just asking you if you want the update the next time you open the browser. That’s a completely different beef I would have, but that is another matter.
This situation is sort of comical to me overall really. Governments and technology advice usually don’t pan out too well. I’ll rant a little more about that later, but first…
BBC News is reporting that in addition to Germany, France is now calling for web users to find an alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to protect security.
Germany warned users on Friday after malicious code – implicated in attacks on Google – was published online.
But Microsoft told BBC News that IE8 was the “most secure browser on the market” and people should upgrade.
Cliff Evans, head of security and privacy, told BBC News that so far the firm had only seen malicious code that targeted the older version of its browser, IE6.
“The risk is minimal,” he said.
For a web user to be affected, he said, they would have to be using IE6 and visit a compromised website.
“There are very few of them out there,” he told BBC News.
However, security researchers have said that if this did occur, a PC could become infected with a “trojan horse”, allowing a hacker to take control of the computer and potentially steal sensitive information.
Isn’t it hilarious that people need their government to tell them what browser to use? I mean would you trust anyone in the U.S. government to tell you what sort of web browser to use, and take their word that the one you are using is going to give you a virus? You all know as well as I do that most of these guys probably don’t even know what a “web browser” is. You know like those people you task “Why don’t you use Firefox?” and they give you that blank stare? They have no idea what a we browser is, and they probably don’t even know what you mean when you say Internet Explorer.
Yep…good old government and their wanting to do good by trying to pretend they know something about something they don’t. They aren’t even warning against the actual problem version of IE because they obviously have no idea that there ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS. IE6 is the issue here, and we are already on IE8! If they knew the difference between roller blinds and roller blades I would be shocked.
Spread the Word
Filed under: Computers and Internet by JMH
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