Adobe Reader - dangerous to use.

[Rik]

El Reg reports that:

Adobe's ubiquitous Reader application has replaced Microsoft Word as the program that's most often targeted in malware campaigns, according to figures compiled by F-Secure.

Files based on Reader were exploited in almost 49 per cent of the targeted attacks of 2009, compared with about 39 per cent that took aim at Microsoft Word. By comparison, in 2008, Acrobat was targeted in almost 29 per cent of attacks and Word was exploited by almost 35 per cent.

"Why has it changed?" F-Secure asks here. "Primarily because there has been more vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat/Reader than in the Microsoft Office applications."

Underscoring the surge of Reader attacks, online thugs recently unleashed a new malware campaign that exploits vulnerabilities patched three weeks ago in the widely-used program. The attacks target financial institutions with a PDF file with a name that refers to the so-called Group of 20 most influential economic powers.

Time to switch...

[Ray]

I switched about 3 or 4 years ago, Rik.

[Rik]

Me too, Ray, Foxit first and then PDFxChange Viewer, which I've found much better:

http://www.docu-track.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer

[Baz]

snap 

[Ray]

Me too, Ray, Foxit first and then PDFxChange Viewer, which I've found much better:

http://www.docu-track.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer

I agree, Rik, I also switched to PDFXchange Viewer from Foxit about a year ago, it's much better.

[Rik]

That's three votes for. Any against?

[Simon]

I'm still with Adobe, as I can't be arsed to change, and it seems F-Secure are on top of things. 

[Rik]

You hope. PDFxChange is smaller and faster.

[JB]

PDFXchange Viewer here for several months now.

[Gary]

I use the one built into OSX, I would not touch Adobe its the Leerdammer of security

[Noreen]

I use PDFxChange Viewer since I read the opinions previously posted on this forum.

[Glenn]

I told the PC admins at work, they are now considering dropping the Reader.

[Den]

There are a number of things that I require to open (daily reports from the alarm central station) that will not open in anything but adobe. So I therefore stick with adobe but I find it OK.

[Rik]

Any idea what's producing them, Den, I've never had a file fail to open.

[Niall]

I'm still using adobe as there isn't much I use it for anyway. The only things I've downloaded recently are the presentations my sisters other half makes for Uni, and the fitness workouts from mens health. Plus I keep things updated, security wise.

I just need that bleedin' Riffworks site to work properly in Firefox as Opera makes me sad

[john]

I'll stick with Adobe for now. If the hackers olbige you to change the apps you use then they've won.

[D-Dan]

Another vote for PDF-XChange viewer - I've been using it for 2 - 3 years both at home and at work, and it's never failed me yet.

I was also one of the vocal recommenders for it when the topic came up a while back

Steve

[D-Dan]

I'll stick with Adobe for now. If the hackers olbige you to change the apps you use then they've won.

And if you break both your legs when you fall out of that tree, don't come running to me

Steve

[john]

And if you break both your legs when you fall out of that tree, don't come running to me

Steve

Gosh things are more serious than I thought, I didn't realise they could inflict physical injuries on you now 

[D-Dan]

 

I'm suitably tickled

Steve

[Rik]

Was it a feather duster then, Steve?

[drummer]

I'll stick with Adobe for now. If the hackers olbige you to change the apps you use then they've won.

In all honesty, it was the bloat and slow loading of Adobe Reader that made me move to the free version of Foxit.

[wecpcs]

I use PDFxChange Viewer since I read the opinions previously posted on this forum.

I did likewise.

Colin