Saturday, December 13, 2008

Defend Against the Zero Day Internet Explorer Vulnerability

OK, if you haven't heard, Microsoft's Internet Explorer which is probably the most widely used browser in the world has a problem. There currently is a vulnerability that is being exploited by the bad guys and it affects most versions of IE. So Microsoft has some suggestions on how to mitigate the problem, but a common step to defend yourself is to use another browser. I suggest that you try Firefox and this would be a great time to do so.

After downloading the browser, then you can install a great tool that works with the Firefox browser called NoScript. Just Google it and you will find it. Install that tool and play with the settings. Trust me, it will take some getting used to but after you have your web sites you visit regularly setup, then it is a piece of cake. I've written previous posts about Firefox and NoScript so look back at those if you like.

If you really want to get wild and crazy, install Ubuntu on your PC at home and test drive it. The current version is 8.10. It installs great and after you get done, you will have a dual boot option of your normal Windows operating system, but you will also have a more secure OS in Ubuntu. Live on the wild side and test drive it today. Can't think of a better time to do so.

Have a great weekend and I will try to do the same.

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