We have all heard about the dangers of Internet Explorer vulnerabilities, including the recently disclosed vulnerability in that browser that allows code to be executed by anyone with write access to a web site. As part of the Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft has released a patch for Internet Explorer to address the vulnerability. The fix is available as an extension for Internet Explorer, and will now be automatically installed to all Windows 8.1 systems.
I think it’s safe to say that Microsoft has done everything in its power to prevent Internet Explorer from becoming the proverbial “Trojan Horse,” that is, a virus-like program that executes code on a system without user authorization. In fact, Microsoft has even gone so far as to create a security advisory for Internet Explorer that lists the browser as the most dangerous component of the entire Windows OS.
This is all very well and good, but to be fair, there are a lot of people who are still using Internet Explorer because it’s the best browser on the planet. For that, we should give it a little slack.
This is where the “Internet Explorer is the best browser on the planet” statement gets a little tricky. Microsoft is the world’s largest software company, and it controls most of the web. This means that Internet Explorer is by default the most protected browser on the planet, but it is also (and this is the real issue) the most vulnerable to viruses, Trojans, and other security issues. We will address this in a separate article.
This is not an extension. It’s a browser. This is when you’ll need to remove a browser from your computer. You can get a good web browser at most of the web sites you have access to. In addition to the extra security, this helps keep your browser up to date.
If this is not already installed on your computer, be sure to remove it.
You can also check if your browser has a browser extension to help prevent viruses. This extension is called Web Safety Extensions (WSE). The WSE is easy to install and comes with a nice warning banner on your browser. You can remove the extension if you want.
It is always nice to know that you can get a browser that is safer than your own personal browser. You could have your own Web Security Extensions WSE extension installed to help keep your personal browser free from these pesky worms and viruses.
That’s probably the best way to be safe on the internet.
It seems like a lot of browser extensions, or “wetware” for browsers, can do pretty much anything you might imagine, but not many can actually help you stop viruses. There are a few that do, however, and they can be helpful. Like a browser extension, a browser also has a way to warn you about the types of things it finds in your browser.
