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  IE Is Least-Patched Browser, Report Says
Time: 02:33 EST/07:33 GMT | News Source: Ent Mag | Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum

According to a report released on Tuesday, more than 40 percent of Internet surfers don't use browsers with up-to-date security patches -- and Internet Explorer users are the biggest culprits.

The report, "Understanding the Web Browser Threat," was conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich, Google Inc. and IBM Internet Security Services. Its main assertion is that Web browsers -- such as IE, Firefox and Safari -- are often the weakest link in the security configuration of a given workstation.

IE took hits throughout the report, which claimed that the gestation time between Microsoft patch releases is too long compared to similar programs from Apple and others. In fact, according to the report, IE came in dead last in terms of security, with only 47.6 percent of its users having the latest security patches.

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#1 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at Friday, July 04, 2008 07:59:16 AM
Strange. Microbots have told me the exact opposite for the past few years. Could they have been <gulp!> wrong???

#2 By 72426 (71.94.8.164) at Friday, July 04, 2008 12:18:56 PM
Couple of things to take into account for this report.

When XP came out all the 'fear nuts' told users to turn off Windows Update as they were scared that it 'might' tell Microsoft what hardware you have.

So when you factor in all the people that have turned off Windows Update or have their computer 'genius' friends turn off Windows Update when messing with their computers, it is pretty easy to understand why a lot of the current IE users that don't manually check for updates would not get the automatic updates.

If Windows Update was NOT SPECIFICALLY TURNED OFF, then the users would have IE7 and the latest updates, instead of the 60/40 ratio this report suggests.

So all the 'MS is Evil, don't let Windows Update run crap' continues to hurt users out of ignorance and is self fulfilling.

The second thing to note about this report is that their data is gathered from 'header' information to determine browser version and browser type. If anyone has paid attention to AVG this last week or other 3rd party software, will know that many of these utilities 'fake' the IE headers, so the usage reports of IE. So, the version level of IE being used can't be accurately taken using the methologies used is this report, making a large portion of their data misleading or dead. (Especially when products like AVG and other utilties do look ahead checking and shove an IE header to web sites the user may never even visit.)


#3 By 92283 (70.66.69.111) at Friday, July 04, 2008 02:47:45 PM
Reading the actual paper:

"Secunia [21] identified (for the month of May 2008) that
4.4%of IE7, 8.1%of Firefox, 14.3%of Safari (Windows only),
and 15.2% of Opera users have not applied the most recent
security patches available to them from the software vendor."

IE7 is by far up to date compared to any other browser.

IE7 wins!!!!!



This post was edited by NotParkerToo on Friday, July 04, 2008 at 14:49.

#4 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Friday, July 04, 2008 03:21:54 PM
Reading the actual report is cheating... when you are debating a headline-only bafoon.

#5 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at Friday, July 04, 2008 03:30:12 PM
#3: But if you consider October 14, 2007 at 2:35-2:37pm, there were 0% FF users unpatched while there were >0% IE users unpatched, therefore FF is infinitely safer (or divide by zero safer, one of the two.)

#4 For some reason, your post reminded me of this pic:

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/n/U/moran.jpg

#6 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Friday, July 04, 2008 04:26:28 PM
No matter how many lawyers old mother latch hires... I'm NOT YOUR FATHER. I don't even wear bandanas.

#7 By 92283 (24.64.223.204) at Friday, July 04, 2008 05:06:30 PM
#4 Its sad when coffee serving, spock-eared idiots think they know anything about computers.

Or "journalists" for that matter.

#8 By 23275 (68.186.182.236) at Friday, July 04, 2008 08:14:33 PM
Latch, why continuously insult people?

How is your cause to be advanced if you persist?

Try explaining why IE 7 in PM on Vista with many additional layers of security (UIPI, WPF, ASLR, NX, DEP, etc...) is less secure than alternatives?

We both know up front that you can't... why not admit it when a company gets it right?
Why not embrace the idea that it is wise to recommend the most secure options available to users?

Is it dogma? Is that what is behind the frustrations that result in the personal insults and attacks? It sure seems like dogma to me and doesn't that make you something of a "bot"

Ya'll watch.... as the tide turns and previous detractors now turn to Vista/IE 7/8 and away from detractors... the popularists are already sensing that the vocal kids are tired of their bell-bottoms and are moving to peg-legs... Don't you know that the very vocal masses are a slippery lot... their tastes change so quickly... we're past the 70's again and headed to the early 80's again... it was so in style to bash IE and Windows a year ago... and now it's no longer cool... how fragile, yet powerful, the masses can be... shoot, even Leo "all my Macs died last week" Laporte can't resist turning in favor of Vista and IE 7/8... just as he turned from Netscape to IE 4 when devs moved to it in 98... ever the popoular.... at nearly twice his age... I laugh my tired old backside off...

#9 By 15406 (99.224.112.94) at Sunday, July 06, 2008 08:20:07 AM
#8: You can throw all the acronyms at me that you can think of, but it doesn't seem to affect the Vista/IE hole of the month.

And now I'm expected to take a lecture from an older white guy about what's "cool"??? Gimme a break.

#10 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Sunday, July 06, 2008 05:03:03 PM
latch, your disrespect wins you no allies here. Its embarrassing to read your drivel and see you constantly flounder in debate.

"I'm expected to take a lecture from an older white guy about what's "cool"

I'd bet Lloyd could teach you more than that. Namely, how to kiss the underside of his size 13s. What part of Alabama shite kicker... do you not fully understand?

This post was edited by mooresa56 on Sunday, July 06, 2008 at 17:04.

#11 By 28801 (65.90.202.10) at Monday, July 07, 2008 11:48:48 AM
I think the "cool" breakdown is something like this:

Ketchum = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgQ6z8l0zNs

Latch = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

#12 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Tuesday, July 08, 2008 02:19:03 AM
damn you rxcall!!!



 

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