Microsoft Security Advisory

[Noreen]

Microsoft is investigating a publicly reported vulnerability in Internet Explorer for customers running Windows XP or who have disabled Internet Explorer Protected Mode. This advisory contains information about which versions of Internet Explorer are vulnerable as well as workarounds and mitigations for this issue............

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/980088.mspx

[Rik]

Thanks, Noreen. 

[Gary]

Seems Chrome is the safest browser right now out there, Rik, shame its google, because they are, no matter what people say, just huge data miners. It is looking more tempting now you can have add ons like add block though 

[Rik]

I'm wary of it still, though, Gary.

[Steve]

Trouble is by the time I get used to another browser its no longer the safest,so I stick to what I prefer.

[Inkblot]

Like all these things it depends on who does the testing and what they are testing for:

Summary: http://nsslabs.com/test-reports/Q309_Browser_Security_Summary_Final.pdf
Full report: http://nsslabs.com/browser-security-malware-3Q2009

Personally, I think the weakest link is always going to be the user. People who never run Windows update or who don't have an anti-virus or anyti-spyware despite the fact you can get decent ones for free. People who click on a link because the IRS tells them they have overpaid their tax. People who don't stop to think when Vista pops up a 'This programme needs admin permission to continue' message and so on.

I visit a lot of dodgy sites (All part of my work, at least that's what I'm claiming) and so far have had the sum total of 0 problems - and I'm using IE8 which is widely regarded as insecure. One day I'll have a problem but so far I've avoided them by applying a bit of common sense!

[Rik]

Common sense is, sadly, in short supply these days, Inky.

[Gary]

I'm wary of it still, though, Gary.

I am Rik, hence why I have not got it, truth be told apart from googeles search on FF and I have been trying bing out, I have no google products, not even Google earth anymore, I can see Google becoming the profiling and human data bank for all major governments at this rate one day, and that scares me.

[Gary]

Common sense is, sadly, in short supply these days, Inky.

The thing is one specially crafted image and you can get bitten if its designed to exploit a zero day, no matter how careful, and that goes for any browser.

[Rik]

I am Rik, hence why I have not got it, truth be told apart from googeles search on FF and I have been trying bing out, I have no google products, not even Google earth anymore, I can see Google becoming the profiling and human data bank for all major governments at this rate one day, and that scares me.

I've dropped GE and GMail for the same reasons.

[Gary]

I've dropped GE and GMail for the same reasons.

Its sad when Google have reached a point where they know more about your habits that you do almost, those huge data centres are there for more than just advertising, and by the time people realise it, well we know that story 

[Rik]

We do.