Internet Explorer

[fret]

It's a fact that ie has more security holes than the other non-ie based browsers.

Dont you mean NCSA Mosaic based browsers?

And I disagree, I dont think it has more security holes than any other browser. There isnt a million strong army trying to find, exploit and publicise security holes in Safari, Opera or Firefox. It may have more known 'security' holes, whatever they are... still waiting to see one unfortunately

One of my friends once gave me a url that crashed my pc and forced me to reboot. I doubt the the same thing would've happened in other browsers.

Theres a commonly known form error that can cause that i think, it may have been fixed in the latest (ha, ancient more like) version, i dont know for sure though, but there are a thousand and one bugs in many software packages that can crash a PC, software that you pay for as well! Lack of security in a piece of software that allows malicous damage is a differant thing entirely. However yes, very lame and should have been patched within nanoseconds.

It's also a fact that ie is lacking when it comes to meeting web standards. Why else do you think that some pages only work properly in ie?

Indeed it is ...and thats one of the reasons I dont use it, because its crap

 

[GrandAdmiral]

It's a fact that ie has more security holes than the other non-ie based browsers. Doesn't mean I could give you a site that attacks ie though, I don't know of any. One of my friends once gave me a url that crashed my pc and forced me to reboot. I doubt the the same thing would've happened in other browsers.

It's also a fact that ie is lacking when it comes to meeting web standards. Why else do you think that some pages only work properly in ie?

I don't recommend you visit those sites with that false sense of security. No broswer will protect you from yourself. In the case that a non-IE browser does gain dominant market share I'm sure virus writers and hackers will take advantage of these ideas. Focusing on security flaws in Opera or Firefox would be a waste of time from a hacker or virus writer's point of view.

 

[MarineCorps]

It doesn't appear to work with Opera, or at least I can't get it working.

hbdragon88 got it working I think.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=2148596&postcount=107

Yeah, i got six invites with it. But better - I got Gmail in Opera!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...88/ogmail_2.png

 

[Thrawn]

I don't recommend you visit those sites with that false sense of security. No broswer will protect you from yourself.

I never said I had a false sense of security, it was a few years ago and he did it as a joke. If one of your friends gave you a link they said was interesting, would you visit it?

I always click no on anything that pops up (unless it's something I've requested and therefore expect and know what it is), but as I'm using firefox, I don't get any of those unknown ones.

 

[citizen001]

Firefox and opera are certainly safer than IE but certainly aren't hack/crack/intruder proof. you still need a good firewall and antivirus and common sense and even then you have to be careful.

 

[bobgote]

As long as you have a decent firewall and a popup blocker (altho i think new IE versions do that too), IE is fine for browsing. I only use firefox because i like to think i'm special and know something everyone else doesn't....i mean because i like the features yes, that'll do. actually started using tabbed browsing now, it's quite good.

 

[fret]

Firefox and opera are certainly safer than IE

I disagree. Evidence please. Its not anecdotal evidence I want to see, even from slashdot or other respected sites. A news posting on slashdot or wired is meaningless, forum gossip is meaningless - the proof is in the pudding, show me a website that will damage my PC using IE, please! I am desperate to have a PC infected, pillaged or trashed through using IE

 

[crystal]

I challenge anyone on this board to direct me to a website that infects my PC with a virus while using IE whereas other browsers would be safe. I challenge anyone to direct me to a website that will plant malicious code on my PC whereas a differant browser wouldnt (such as Java based auto dialers). Please, please point me to these sites!!! Ive been waiting for someone to show me one for about 5 years now, nobody on usenet has ever been able to show me one, nobody on any of the countless forums ive been a member of since PHP took off has been able to show me one of these IE specific malicous sites. Please, please show me them!

<--- virus lover

So you want a demonstration of IE security holes?

http://www.osvdb.org/searchdb.php?v...ersion=&version_search_type=and&search=search

There's hundreds of exploits for you. Obviously the people you've discussed with aren't competent enough to find that information.

I actually use Firefox, but I use it because of the features it has, not because IE is dangerous or anything. I certainly dont avoid IE at all, I will happily use it every day if necessary and I am 100% confident that I could use IE for the rest of its suported lifetime and never suffer a single security issue that was detrimental to my PC.

If you have had security issues when using IE then its your fault for clicking 'yes', and in this scenario using Firefox or Opera wouldnt have helped a bit. If you didnt click 'yes' and have still suffered a problem, then dont worry because using something other than IE wouldnt have helped a bit either.

You seem to be incredibly confident on this issue. The problem is, you don't always even have to click "yes", because some of the exploits execute automatically, as far as I know.

Here's a couple of links to implemented exploits I collected from the previous page (I haven't tested them, and some of them require you to do different things to trigger them):

http://www.malware.com/gooroo.php
http://www.ecqurity.com/adv/11.html
http://www.freewebs.com/arman2/showamp.htm
http://www.safecenter.net/UMBRELLAWEBV4/BackToFramedJpu/BackToFramedJpu-MyPage.htm
http://www.idefense.com/application/poi/display?id=77&type=vulnerabilities&flashstatus=true
http://www.richardharman.com/osvdb/8148-wattadrag/drag-and-drop-test.html

 

[crystal]

I only use IE the whole day.
And as fred and Turner_727 sayed, without any safety problems.
If you have problems, buy an hardware firewall (Linux based) with DMZ and you are nearly safe.

Firewalls don't help you a thing if they aren't properly configured. And they can't stop everything, and certainly NOT the different security exploits in IE.

Actually, you don't even have to buy to a hardware firewall, just installing two network cards and Debian Linux on an old computer is enough.

 

[citizen001]

I disagree. Evidence please. Its not anecdotal evidence I want to see, even from slashdot or other respected sites. A news posting on slashdot or wired is meaningless, forum gossip is meaningless - the proof is in the pudding, show me a website that will damage my PC using IE, please! I am desperate to have a PC infected, pillaged or trashed through using IE

well for starters there's no built in popup blocker, then there's the phishing scam from IE browers and then..... ill get back to u need to read my pc magazines first.

 

[Detlef Richter]

Firewalls don't help you a thing if they aren't properly configured. And they can't stop everything, and certainly NOT the different security exploits in IE.

Actually, you don't even have to buy to a hardware firewall, just installing two network cards and Debian Linux on an old computer is enough.

HaHa, very funny. But this is not the 'Fun & Jokes' Forum.

I don't think you have flying eyes and can look what hardware i use.
By the way, i've thought you know what you are talking about. DMZ with one computer and two net cards. Haha, again very funny.
Com on, tell me what you think is the best way to be as safe as possible. And please don't say using Firefox or another one.

 

[crystal]

I don't think you have flying eyes and can look what hardware i use.

I'm just trying to say that it's very common to use a Linux computer as a firewall separating one's own network and Internet. (Assuming you're talking about home networks)

By the way, i've thought you know what you are talking about. DMZ with one computer and two net cards. Haha, again very funny.

Then install a third network card if you need DMZ. Btw, where do you even need it? Port forwarding with iptables is usually enough for home networks.

Com on, tell me what you think is the best way to be as safe as possible. And please don't say using Firefox or another one.

The most secure way? Don't connect to the Internet at all. Security and usability are often the opposites of each other. You have to find the right balance between them.

 

[Gogf]

EDIT: Deleted.

 

[Jeratain]

well for starters there's no built in popup blocker, then there's the phishing scam from IE browers and then..... ill get back to u need to read my pc magazines first.

Update your information on IE. Refer to the changelog in SP2.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

It's also a fact that ie is lacking when it comes to meeting web standards. Why else do you think that some pages only work properly in ie?

I thought that was, at least in part, based on what software package was used to design the web page. Don't some of the Microsoft design tools do this?

 

[hbdragon88]

It doesn't appear to work with Opera, or at least I can't get it working.

http://www.scss.com.au/family/andrew/o7/gmail/

Did a little research. You can thank Gmail for using a non-standard login process that only works in IE/Firefox (something called XMLHttpRequest) and screws up horribly everywhere else (would it kill them to create a text-only or unsupported browser page version?). Opera 7.60 will support XMLHttpRequest, so the Proxmitron filters are for temporary use until nothing happens.

I use IE for Roboform purposes. You see, I have many accounts at other sites, and I need a fast way to log-in - and Roboform does the trick. It does have a Mozilla adapter, but it sucks and is very limited (compared with the IE toolbar).

 

[citizen001]

Update your information on IE. Refer to the changelog in SP2.

Sorry can't bother downloading it on dialup. Takes a few years

 

[crystal]

I use IE for Roboform purposes. You see, I have many accounts at other sites, and I need a fast way to log-in - and Roboform does the trick. It does have a Mozilla adapter, but it sucks and is very limited (compared with the IE toolbar).

Impressing, they have even a Finnish version of their sites... not to mention the fact that the translation is really, really ********. Especially the abuse of compound word grammar rules looks really horrifying. (an example of what English does to small languages)

 

[Godwynn]

Opera for me. I only use IE for links that I click on in IM conversations since it is the default browser.

 

[Ankka]

You can set Opera to be the default, or copy & paste the link to Opera.