| It's free, it comes with Windows and it's used by | | | | Hijackers. These are programs that do nasty |
| approximately 94% of the Internet population. It | | | | things like change your home page to another |
| also poses an unacceptable security risk. What am | | | | page, usually something pornographic in nature. |
| I talking about? If you guessed Internet Explorer, | | | | They can also install software and links on your |
| you're right on the money. So, is your web | | | | desktop, of course *without* your |
| browser putting you at risk? If you're one of the | | | | permission.Spyware. This is extremely devious |
| 94% using Internet Explorer, the answer is a | | | | and malicious software, and in many cases, it's |
| definite *yes*. By my math, quite a few people | | | | used by criminals for online identity theft. Once it's |
| require critical information for protection.What's | | | | on your computer, Spyware sits quietly in the |
| the problem with Internet Explorer (known as "IE" | | | | background recording information about you. Do |
| from here out) and how does it put you at | | | | you shop and bank online? This is one threat to |
| risk?The main problem with IE is the numerous | | | | be extremely concerned about.What can you do |
| security flaws. As an example, between April | | | | to improve security?Rather than continue to apply |
| 2001 and June 2004, Microsoft documented *153 | | | | what boils down to "band aid" security fixes to IE, |
| security flaws* in IE. When a security flaw is | | | | I recommend a more permanent solution. Stop |
| discovered Microsoft releases information about | | | | letting IE put you at risk, and switch to another |
| the flaw and the potential impact. *Usually* at this | | | | web browser.How exactly will switching web |
| point Microsoft provides a downloadable security | | | | browsers help? Quite simply, there are so many |
| fix to remedy the problem. Since many people | | | | security exploits on the Internet targeted |
| don't know about the flaw and the fix, frequently | | | | specifically to IE that just by using another |
| people remain vulnerable for long periods of | | | | browser, you'll happily avoid most of them.The |
| time.Just how serious are some of these security | | | | good news is that there are several alternative |
| flaws? Some of the critical security flaws allow | | | | web browsers available free of charge like |
| attackers to basically gain control of your | | | | Netscape, Mozilla, Opera and Firefox. For more |
| computer and run whatever malicious programs | | | | information a great website to visit is This |
| they chose. In many cases, your vulnerable | | | | website is dedicated to getting people to switch |
| computer can be compromised just by visiting | | | | from IE. It's full of "real life" stories about why |
| the wrong website.Here are but a few of the | | | | people switched, and what browser they're using |
| malicious programs I've seen loaded on people's | | | | now.So, what's the best browser of the bunch? |
| computers through security holes in IE:Browser | | | | |