Hopefully you’re already in the know about the huge security flaw that has been discovered for all versions (6-11) of Internet Explorer. Maybe you’re not. Maybe all you know is that IE has been having some issues.
Well, to keep it short, IE versions 6-11 were experiencing a vulnerability where – via malicious websites – hackers had the ability to take over your computer. By doing so, they would be able to create a separate user, delete files, and basically anything else someone can do with full control over the whole device.
Crap, right?
Over the past week, Microsoft provided workarounds and updates to try and keep people protected against the attackers until they were able to fix the patch.
Patched
As of last night, it’s fixed! That doesn’t mean all IE users are safe though. If you have automatic updating enabled, then you should be fine. If you don’t – in order to install the patch for your IE browser, you’ll need to go into Windows Update and install the most recent update available. Fortunately, the update is available for those who are still using Windows XP even though support officially stopped for that on April 8th. You can read more about the IE patch here. Also, now that the bug has been made known so publicly, attacks will likely be more widespread so make sure to install the updates quickly.
Okay, all of that to say – the fact that almost 58% of the world is using IE on their desktop in the first place – well, it just kind of makes me wince a little bit.
Not only did it take almost an entire week for this issue to be patched, but it was serious enough for Homeland Security to get involved. Homeland Security.
I would have to strongly suggest to just use a different browser in the first place, great options being Chrome or Firefox. Safari would also be a better option than IE. Otherwise, if you have to use IE, I would recommend at least updating to a recent version – 10 or 11.
Stay tuned for the second part of this series, where we’ll dive into how to choose and use a modern web browser.
Which browser does your workplace use?