Thread: Internet Explorer security holes

Danger is always with you, if you browse the web using Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1. According to the Bugtraq security mailing list (SecurityFocus). the Microsoft browser has 175 security holes, for which no patches are available. This can be dangerous, as any website could be harbouring an exploit for a loophole. Some swindlers run sites specifically set up to target weaknesses in Microsoft's browser and steal private data. Internet Explorer version 7 may give a brief respite, but it's still the prime target for ne'er-do-wells.

Change is the only option. The Firefox browser is not just fast, it's also fairly secure. Bugtraq lists just two security holes in version 1.5.x which need a targeted attack to be effective. For the casual surfer the danger of losing data or control over your computer is almost non -existent.



Firefox 2.0 gives you a foretaste of the new features in Internet Explorer 7: the new phishing protection successfully warded off would-be data thieves in our tests. The crash-protection feature made looking things up on the internet easier, as there are few things more annoying than losing a site in a crash after a long search and having to find it again. After a crash, Firefox 2.0 asks whether the online session during which the crash occurred, including the pages viewed, should be restored. Firefox 2.0 also offers a spell check for forms, which is useful for bloggers and still lacking in Explorer 7.