Several folks have asked me about a recent batch of warnings regarding Internet Explorer. They are wondering if the warnings are true and what should be done about it?
Yes, recently there has been a pretty serious hack that can invade your Internet Explorer version 7 and steal passwords and do other damage. Most security experts are warning people to steer clear of IE7 entirely and use a different browser for their online activities. Microsoft merely recommends people be “cautious” while they try to come up with a solution to the problem.
My advice…being cautious is not good enough at the moment. There are too many really good browsers out there that you can get with a free download. Grab one (Firefox is my fave) and use it.
The other question I always get concerns viruses for the Mac. People wonder if it is still true that Macs don’t get viruses. Well, that was never actually true. Macs do get viruses. They just happen to be pretty rare. But Macs are vulnerable to various malware and other attacks and you do have to maintain some vigilance to avoid them.
Just this week, Apple released software updates that will patch 21 security problems in the operating system and other Apple software. This update is avialable through Software Update or from the Apple web site.
Seven of the patches in this bundle of 21 are focused on Adobe Flash. Adobe published an update for those last month but now they are also available via Apple. Flash is a particularly vulnerable piece of software and bogus updates to Flash are considered the number one method used to distribute damaging software. Make sure when you update Flash you do so from the Adobe web site or via your Apple Software Updates. Do not follow links in e-mails or on other web sites for updating your Adobe Flash.
