There’s been a lot of talk lately about “defensive computing.” For those of us who routinely web surf with a Windows PC or laptop, security is a big issue. Even with the use of antivirus programs like Norton or McAfee, it is still possible for a computer to be compromised, and a recent report indicates that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is one of the principal security risks on a Windows PC.
While Microsoft continues to pump out the bug fixes to patch up security holes in Internet Explorer, CNet.com is reporting that PC users are more secure using the Firefox web browser, rather than Internet Explorer.
A prime example of this is a recent bug which was discovered that exploits a vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Microsoft currently has no “fix” for the exploit, which leaves user’s computers wide-open to a wide range of attacks. The as yet unnamed bug affects users of Internet Explorer 6, 7 and the soon-to-be released Internet Explorer 8.
Unfortunately, most Internet users do not practice defensive computing, and in fact CNet is reporting that as many as 637 million Web users have outdated browsers. Keeping up-to-date with the latest version of a Web browser is critical because new versions routinely close “holes” in the software that hackers can exploit. But with the better part of a billion Web users currently using outdated web browsers, it’s no wonder that computer security and defensive computing are becoming such hot topics in mainstream society.
According to CNet, the biggest security difference between Internet explorer and Firefox is that Firefox constantly updates itself, adding security patches and fixes as necessary, sometimes on a daily basis. Internet explorer, on the other hand, is not nearly as adept at staying up-to-date. In fact, one study found that Internet Explorer users were twice as likely to run an outdated version of their browser.
Firefox, by default, opens by informing the user if a new version of the browser is available and requesting permission to install it immediately. By way of contrast, Internet explorer only updates itself as part of a regular Windows maintenance update — the browser has no independent updating mechanism beyond that of the usual Windows operating system updates. In these days of plentiful Web viruses, Trojans and exploits, a Web browser without an automatic updating system seems hopelessly anachronistic.
For the time being, many Windows computer users are switching over to Firefox, just to be on the safe side. Even Apple’s Safari web browser is making inroads into Microsoft territory, something few could have predicted just a few short years ago, and undoubtedly, a troubling sign of the times for Microsoft.
