An IT watchdog has warned against using Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser because of a possible security flaw.
The German government agency overseeing IT safety said people should use other browsers until the problem is fixed.
The Federal Office for Information Security said the browser's "weak point is already being used for targeted attacks."
It warns the code to attack computers running on Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems through the browser is freely available online and might therefore spread rapidly.
The agency says users of internet Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9 should switch to alternative browsers until Microsoft updates its browser's security features.
"In other words, XP stick-in-the-muds need to finally get with the programme and stop behaving like we're still living in a pre-Facebook-Twitter-iPad 2001. There's arguably a big problem with that, however, given how many people (still swaggering around a 39 per cent global usage figure at the last count) continue to run that OS on their computers."
Its still at about 39 percent. http://gs.statcounte...y-201108-201208 Speaking for "pre-Facebook-Twitter-iPad" stick in the muds everywhere, I take umbrage at that remark. And I think it should be "Sticks-in-the-mud", but that is debatable.
Windows XP: the zombie OS that wouldn't die. Or maybe "The Little Engine That Could" and still can.
More interesting, was how it is via Active-X... When will they learn? Tsk, tsk!!! Hahaha!!!!
Thanks, Fluffy, & thanks Hazel! Glad I use Firefox. I know it ain't perfect, but still. Just sayin!!!
Active-X is perfect for hosing a good clean system to infect it easily. However using a "makes me feel safer" 3rd party browser is of no guarantee that you're actually any safer because sites can code stuff to use IE or whatever the hell else they want your browser to do such as running some hidden program they download rather you know it or not, such as what ZDNet did oh so many years ago with cookie storage and who knows what else.