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Will switching from Internet Explorer make you safer?

By Ed Bott | January 22, 2010, 3:47am PST

Summary

The panic over this month's wave of targeted, zero-day attacks against Internet Explorer is over. Microsoft has released an emergency security update that patches the underlying vulnerabilities, and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. But what does this episode say about Internet Explorer? Is it inherently unsafe?

Topics

Google Inc., Attacker, Vulnerability, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Corp., Web Browser, Exploit, Attack, Microsoft Windows, Web Browsers, Security, Operating Systems, Software, Internet, Ed Bott

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Ed Bott

Biography

Ed Bott

Ed Bott

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.

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The panic over this month’s wave of targeted, zero-day attacks against Google, Adobe, and other companies is over. Microsoft has released a security update for Internet Explorer that patches the underlying vulnerabilities, and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

But what does this episode say about Internet Explorer? I’ve seen several pundits argue that Internet Explorer is inherently unsafe. I think they’re overreacting. Yes, there is a case to be made for using a different browser, especially one with a lower market share that is targeted less frequently than Internet Explorer. (And if you’re too impatient to read this entire post, then skip to the last page for that discussion.) But it’s also true that switching browsers is a small part of a comprehensive, defense-in-depth security strategy.

One thing’s for certain: Changing browsers isn’t a magic bullet, and it might not have made a difference in this case, as I explain in this post.

First things first: How do I protect myself from becoming a victim of this exploit?

Regardless of which version of Internet Explorer or Windows you’re using, you should install today’s Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (described in KB978207 and Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-002). This update should be delivered automatically via Windows Update or Windows Software Update Services.

You should also turn on Data Execution Prevention, a feature which prevents code execution from data pages in memory (technical details for the Windows XP family are here, for Windows Vista and 7 here). DEP is on by default in Internet Explorer 8. To enable DEP on Windows XP or Windows Vista with IE6 or IE7, use the Fix It tool on the MS10-002 advisory page.

So, exactly what happened in this case?

The public does not know the full details of what happened. Various reports and analysts have published conflicting reports with a lot of speculative analysis. A January 12 report by Verisign’s iDefense security outfit blamed the attacks on an Adobe PDF vulnerability. That report was retracted two days later, although many news stories based on that inaccurate report have not been corrected.

Next page: Unanswered questions –>

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.

Disclosure

Ed Bott

Ed Bott is a freelance technical journalist and book author. All work that Ed does is on a contractual basis.

Since 1994, Ed has written more than 25 books about Microsoft Windows and Office. Along with various co-authors, Ed is completely responsible for the content of the books he writes. As a key part of his contractual relationship with publishers, he gives them permission to print and distribute the content he writes and to pay him a royalty based on the actual sales of those books. Ed's books are currently distributed by Que Publishing (a division of Pearson Education) and by Microsoft Press.

On occasion, Ed accepts consulting assignments. In recent years, he has worked as an expert witness in cases where his experience and knowledge of Microsoft and Microsoft Windows have been useful. In each such case, his compensation is on an hourly basis, and he is hired as a witness, not an advocate.

Ed does not own stock or have any other financial interest in Microsoft or any other software company. He owns 500 shares of stock in EMC Corporation, which was purchased before the company's acquisition of VMWare. In addition, he owns 350 shares of stock in Intel Corporation, purchased more than two years ago. All stocks are held in retirement accounts for long-term growth.

Ed does not accept gifts from companies he covers. All hardware products he writes about are purchased with his own funds or are review units covered under formal loan agreements and are returned after the review is complete.

Biography

Ed Bott

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.

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Talkback Most Recent of 363 Talkback(s)

  • The Apple and the Worm
    MACs are immune to viruses, not to worms. You can still launch a program if the program is written poorly, but once you reboot it is clean.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tburzio
    01/22/2010 04:08 AM

  • ZDNet Moderator

    That's nonsense
    Do you really believe that? The system magically is aware that a particular program has bad intent and automatically removes it on demand?

    Sheesh, that's some strong Kool-aid you got there.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Ed Bott
    01/22/2010 04:19 AM
  • Seriously ed...
    That was one of the more obvious trolls I've read in the past few months. Having a bad day?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Spiritusindomit@...
    01/22/2010 08:26 AM
  • Kool Aid - no doubt mixed with Everclear n/t
    n/t
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Wolfie2K3
    01/22/2010 12:19 PM
  • Two claims, both wrong
    1) Macs are *not* immune to viruses. Even though Apple has tried to protect the kernel from being changed, there are always vulnerabilities and ways around that. And OS X has had plenty!

    2) Reboot does not clean out a Mac. Geez, where did you get that idea?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    honeymonster
    01/22/2010 04:20 AM
    • Flagged
  • Ed has been in damage control mode ...
    ... all week.

    PS. The damage has already been done.


    ^o^

    ZDNet Gravatar
    n0neXn0ne
    (Edited: 01/22/2010 05:15 AM)

  • ZDNet Moderator

    You didn't even read this post, did you?
    If you had, you wouldn't call it "damage control."

    Read page 5 and let's talk.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Ed Bott
    (Edited: 01/22/2010 06:59 AM)
  • skimming the first page was enough
    the rhetorical title-question is best answered
    with another zdnet title:

    Microsoft knew of IE zero-day flaw since last
    September

    so yes, switching from Microsoft software after
    Microsoft sat on this flaw for almost 4 months
    would almost certainly make you safer.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gfryesc@...
    01/22/2010 05:21 AM

  • ZDNet Moderator

    OK, fine
    You want to make accusations without even reading what I wrote. PS: I highlighted that same article in my post here.

    Welcome to the kill-file.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Ed Bott
    01/22/2010 05:26 AM
  • In all due fairness to Ed...
    and believe me, I'm no fanboy of his. He did say this...

    In my opinion, if you don?t have overriding compatibility or support issues, there are several good reasons to prefer alternative browsers such as Firefox or Google Chrome to any version of Internet Explorer. For starters, both Mozilla and Google have generally been faster at releasing updates to security issues than Microsoft. If it?s true that Microsoft knew about this issue for more than four months before delivering a fix, that?s a big argument against trusting IE.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Wintel BSOD
    01/22/2010 03:06 PM
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