School's out to shun IE

Citing security risks, a state university is urging students to drop Internet Explorer in favor of alternative Web browsers such as Firefox and Safari.

In a notice sent to students on Wednesday, Pennsylvania State University's Information Technology Services department recommended that students download other browsers to reduce attacks through vulnerabilities in the Microsoft software.

The university said "media reports" and a string of warnings by Carnegie Mellon University's Computer Emergency and Response Team led to its recommendation.

"We're not telling people to wipe off IE, because you need IE to do operating-system updates," Robin Anderson, a spokeswoman for Penn State's ITS department, said in an interview. "We're telling (students) there are alternatives--and for them to strongly look at those."

Microsoft said Internet users have a choice in Web browsers, adding that the company has invested heavily in online security.

"While Internet Explorer is the choice of hundreds of millions because of the unique value it provides, we respect that some customers will choose an alternative," a Microsoft representative wrote in an e-mail statement.

Penn State's new policy highlights the many security vulnerabilities that have dogged IE over the past few months. Nearly two dozen holes in the Web browser have been discovered during the fall, ranging in degrees of seriousness.

Malicious code writers have targeted security holes in the browser to launch attacks or install spyware. These attacks are often launched when a victim clicks on a specific Web link, opening the door for criminals to take over the person's computer. Once the PC is compromised, the attacker could access account information, load other software and delete files.

Other attackers have targeted IE vulnerabilities to launch viruses. In November, security researchers discovered two viruses, Bofra.A and Bofra.B, loosely based on the MyDoom source code.

Security concerns have prompted a growing number of Internet users to embrace different browsers, such as The Mozilla Organization's Firefox, Apple Computer's Safari and Opera Software's Opera. While IE remains the undisputed leader for browsers, with nearly 90 percent market share, Firefox continues to gain in popularity.

Firefox has surpassed the 5 million download mark while gaining 5 percentage points in May to 7.4 percent, according to research firm OneStat.com. Microsoft has disputed these numbers, claiming that they do not represent corporate users.

Even though attackers target IE because of its near ubiquity, malicious code writers are widening their reach. Yesterday, a security company discovered an exploit in a feature common to most browsers, including IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari, that could be used to launch an attack.

Penn State's Anderson said the university has just completed a two-month information campaign for PC security, urging students to download firewalls and antivirus software, and to regularly install operating-system updates. She added that changing browsers is one of many ways to defend against attackers.

"What we're saying is, we're taking a hard stance on securing our computers," Anderson said.

CNET News.com's Robert Lemos contributed to this report.

[Jonathan]

FYI: FireFox....9,496,000 downloads

Almost at 10 million!! :-D<br /><br />Spread the Fox :-)

[Jonathan]

FYI: FireFox....9,496,000 downloads

Almost at 10 million!! :-D<br /><br />Spread the Fox :-)

[Earl Benzar]

Go with Firefox

or get a Mac. IE is very dangerous.

[Earl Benzar]

Go with Firefox

or get a Mac. IE is very dangerous.

[rdean]

*Choice* of millions ?!?!?

No, it's not a conscious choice that millions of people use IE over anything else. It comes with the operating system and they choose not to go looking for anything different (for whatever reason) -- there's a big difference between active choice and passive choice.<br /><br />Microsoft needs to stop giving their customers the snow job. Microsoft's W3 compliance is horrible, and their failure to support more of CSS (e.g., scrollable TBODY's in tables) is holding web designers back. I'm sick of having to break my standards-compliant HTML/CSS to get around flaws in IE.

[rdean]

*Choice* of millions ?!?!?

No, it's not a conscious choice that millions of people use IE over anything else. It comes with the operating system and they choose not to go looking for anything different (for whatever reason) -- there's a big difference between active choice and passive choice.<br /><br />Microsoft needs to stop giving their customers the snow job. Microsoft's W3 compliance is horrible, and their failure to support more of CSS (e.g., scrollable TBODY's in tables) is holding web designers back. I'm sick of having to break my standards-compliant HTML/CSS to get around flaws in IE.

[Gerald Quaglia]

This cant be good new for M$

Since colleges are full of young impressionable computer users. Ween them off IE now and M$ market share will continue to shrink. I guess its time for Gates and Ballmer to dream up some new antitrust deal that will force users to use IE somehow. Maybe configure the upcoming Foghorn so that other browsers will no work properly on the new OS. They will explain that it is needed for proper security. trustworthy computer and such.

[Ubber geek]

upcoming Foghorn

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.analogstereo.com/audio_research_service_manuals.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.analogstereo.com/audio_research_service_manuals.htm</a>

[Gerald Quaglia]

This cant be good new for M$

Since colleges are full of young impressionable computer users. Ween them off IE now and M$ market share will continue to shrink. I guess its time for Gates and Ballmer to dream up some new antitrust deal that will force users to use IE somehow. Maybe configure the upcoming Foghorn so that other browsers will no work properly on the new OS. They will explain that it is needed for proper security. trustworthy computer and such.

[Ubber geek]

upcoming Foghorn

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.analogstereo.com/audio_research_service_manuals.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.analogstereo.com/audio_research_service_manuals.htm</a>

Nice quote

-------<br />"While Internet Explorer is the choice of hundreds of millions because of the unique value it provides, we respect that some customers will choose an alternative," a Microsoft representative wrote in an e-mail statemen<br />-------<br /><br />Unique value? HAHAHAHAHA<br /><br />I guess opening yourself up to attacks of many kinds, unless you use 3rd party apps, but then you are still very vulnerable.<br /><br />How about the crappy standards compliance? That must be part of the 'unique value' they are prattling on about.<br /><br />Maybe it is just having a browser around that hasn't had any feature updates in years, and any future ones, are years away. That is a unique value as well.<br /><br />You have to wonder about people who spout nonsense like that. It is one thing when unknowlegable types come here and think they know something about computers and defend microsoft. But how does one sleep at night, knowing they are paid to lie and make excuses for one of the most unethical companies in the world?

Nice quote

-------<br />"While Internet Explorer is the choice of hundreds of millions because of the unique value it provides, we respect that some customers will choose an alternative," a Microsoft representative wrote in an e-mail statemen<br />-------<br /><br />Unique value? HAHAHAHAHA<br /><br />I guess opening yourself up to attacks of many kinds, unless you use 3rd party apps, but then you are still very vulnerable.<br /><br />How about the crappy standards compliance? That must be part of the 'unique value' they are prattling on about.<br /><br />Maybe it is just having a browser around that hasn't had any feature updates in years, and any future ones, are years away. That is a unique value as well.<br /><br />You have to wonder about people who spout nonsense like that. It is one thing when unknowlegable types come here and think they know something about computers and defend microsoft. But how does one sleep at night, knowing they are paid to lie and make excuses for one of the most unethical companies in the world?

Secure? How do you know.

Firefox is in Version 1.0 and is a reasonably new release. Why is everyone saying it's so secure? A quick look on the list of Mozilla security bugs shows a large list of security bugs. I'm not knocking Firefox. The bugs were for beta versions so most likely the proper release is OK but Version 1 has only been out a few weeks. It's a bit soon to be saying it has no security bugs.<br />Anyway, I prefer Opera (I don't know if it's more secure or not, I just like it).

[Steven N]

Don't get the logic...

You are not making any sense...<br /><br />You are not willing to use Firefox because you are not sure about the security of it.<br />However you are using Opera not caring about the security of it, but simply because you like it?<br /><br />Weird.<br /><br />On the positive, however, you are not using IE...

Secure? How do you know.

Firefox is in Version 1.0 and is a reasonably new release. Why is everyone saying it's so secure? A quick look on the list of Mozilla security bugs shows a large list of security bugs. I'm not knocking Firefox. The bugs were for beta versions so most likely the proper release is OK but Version 1 has only been out a few weeks. It's a bit soon to be saying it has no security bugs.<br />Anyway, I prefer Opera (I don't know if it's more secure or not, I just like it).

[Steven N]

Don't get the logic...

You are not making any sense...<br /><br />You are not willing to use Firefox because you are not sure about the security of it.<br />However you are using Opera not caring about the security of it, but simply because you like it?<br /><br />Weird.<br /><br />On the positive, however, you are not using IE...

[Prndll]

Now this is funny...

Millions are downloading and using Firefox, so this says that Firefox is good????????<br /><br />So, if millions of people jumped off a cliff, does that mean that jumping off a cliff is good?<br /><br />IT IS TOO SOON. Firefox has a degree of AOL direction. Mozila is being influenced by AOL.<br /><br />If you want something more secure than IE, you need to get rid of Windows. IE cannot be removed from Windows. It is part of it. The use of Firefox is not a way to get out from under IE. The ONLY way to get away from IE is to get away from Windows.<br /><br />Microsoft is not worried about Firefox or anything from Mozila because IE cannot be removed from Windows.

[Prndll]

Now this is funny...

Millions are downloading and using Firefox, so this says that Firefox is good????????<br /><br />So, if millions of people jumped off a cliff, does that mean that jumping off a cliff is good?<br /><br />IT IS TOO SOON. Firefox has a degree of AOL direction. Mozila is being influenced by AOL.<br /><br />If you want something more secure than IE, you need to get rid of Windows. IE cannot be removed from Windows. It is part of it. The use of Firefox is not a way to get out from under IE. The ONLY way to get away from IE is to get away from Windows.<br /><br />Microsoft is not worried about Firefox or anything from Mozila because IE cannot be removed from Windows.