Internet Explorer security patch 18th Dec... Do It !

[Howie]

Hi guys,

Just a headsup, there's a nasty security vulnerability in IE and an exploit is spreading quickly. It captures passwords and personal information. Be vigilant until you can download the Microsoft patch for it (it should be available tomorrow morning around 8:30am) - hate for anyone to get hit here.

Good news is if you're on Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera browsers you will remain unaffected.

So patch up tonight (windows update).

Cheers

[muzzamo]

seriously though anyone who is with it enough to understand security vulnerabilities and patching is probably already using firefox...

[Howie]

True.. make the switch if you haven't already. But IE still has around 80% of the market.

[Howie]

Interesting article

Don’t use other browsers, says Microsoft

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/91353,don ... osoft.aspx
17 December 2008 12:35PM


Microsoft Australia has issued a plea to customers not to switch browsers in the wake of the Internet Explorer zero-day exploit, claiming it will have a fix ‘roughly’ within 24 hours.

The Redmond giant is responding to a wave of reports that suggest the exploit is worse than first thought, affecting not only IE7 but also all earlier versions.

“Microsoft teams worldwide have been working around the clock to develop a security update to help protect our customers and has [sic] just released the Advanced Notification Service advising customers that Microsoft will be providing a Security Update at roughly 5am, December 18th, to protect them from the vulnerability discussed in Microsoft Security Advisory 961501,” a Microsoft Australia spokesperson said.

“To date, the impact on Microsoft’s Australian customers has been minimal and Microsoft is not advising Internet Explorer users to switch browsers.”

The spokesperson advised users to activate the Automatic Update setting in Windows ‘to ensure that they receive the update as soon as it is available’.

They also recommended ‘enabling your firewall, ensuring your antivirus and antispyware is up to date, setting [your] Internet Explorer security settings to High and using Internet Explorer 7 in Protected Mode’.

Microsoft also said it will host a webcast to address customer questions on this bulletin on 18 December, at 8:00AM AEDT (NSW, VIC, ACT).

[peas_and_corn]

that last paragraph is important too- you've got to use the Microsoft firewall, as it offers perfect protection for your computer