HUA HIN, Thailand - Microsoft's
dominant Internet Explorer web browser has been
under fire again this week as an estimated 2
million computers have reportedly been infected as
a result of a critical security hole in the
software.
An emergency patch released on
Wednesday for all versions of the browser, which
currently has just under 70% market share,
provides protection against remote code execution.
The exploit allows hackers to gain access to
personal data, which could include financial
records, and directs users to compromised
websites, of which there already are an estimated
10,000 that can install viral code.
Microsoft has confirmed that the attacks
could also come through
their e-mail client
Outlook Express as this uses the IE engine when
viewing e-mail messages in HTML. Security experts
are urging web surfers to avoid using IE
altogether and opt for an alternative browser,
such as Firefox. Trend Micro, a leading Internet
security company, stated that the flaws were
primarily being exploited in China.
The
patch, which is available via Windows Update,
contains over 300 distinct updates for more than
six versions of IE in 50 languages. The infection
comes in the form of the AZN Trojan, which does
not require users to open or download anything -
simply going to a compromised website with an
unpatched browser will cause computer
contamination.
Some frightening figures
from Microsoft estimate that one in 500 Windows
users has been exposed to malicious websites that
try to exploit the security hole and the number of
infections has been increasing by 50% per day.
With statistics like these coming from the company
that writes the software, we can only emphasize
one thing again and again ... use Firefox, Google
Chrome or Opera and keep them updated! For those
that insist on sticking with IE, you can download
the patch manually here.
The world's second-most popular web
browser, Firefox, also needs to be kept up to date
as security flaws are constantly being exploited
by opportunist cyber criminals. Mozilla has
recently announced that it will be ending support
for Firefox 2 and is urging all users to upgrade
to version 3. The latest version of Firefox
(3.0.5) can be downloaded here.
Apple was also on the patch circuit this
week, so those of you that think the squeaky clean
fruity computers are immune from net-nasties
couldn't be further from the truth. Security
updates addressing 21 vulnerabilities for Mac OS X
10.4 and 10.5 were released on Monday. If Apple
admitted that its operating systems were not
perfect and used severity ratings - which
Microsoft makes public to indicate the scale of a
software problem - many of the patches would be
deemed critical.
One such flaw in the core
graphics system could allow remote code execution
if exploited, as could a number of bugs recently
discovered in Flash applications for OS X. The
download is available via Mac software update or
manually here.
Reports are emerging on tech websites and
Apple forums of the Leopard patch to OS X 10.5.6
causing problems to users' Macs. Problems range
from broken Bluetooth connections and no sound to
popping noises during start-up and dead USB ports.
Frozen systems on "configuring setup" after
installing the patch is another complaint from a
number of angry Apple owners. There have been some
workarounds, such as removing the update files or
installing a regular update instead of a combo
update, but the bottom line seems to be that no
operating system is flawless - despite what you
read in the marketing propaganda!
Industry Apple chief executive
Steve Jobs has caused a stir by unexpectedly
deciding to pull out of the annual Macworld trade
show set to take place next month. The company on
Tuesday announced that there will be no keynote
from Jobs, news that sent Apple stock falling by
6.6% on Wednesday amid fears about the cancer
survivor's health. The company also stated that
2009 would be the last year that it would be
attending the trade show - which is put on by a
third party to promote Macintosh-related products
- stating that these events were a "minor" way to
reach customers.
The health concerns are
growing as Jobs, who has already undergone surgery
to remove a rare type of pancreatic cancer, is
viewed by many as being "irreplaceable" as the
head of Apple. The news comes as a disappointment
to the thousands of technology fans and Apple
aficionados that religiously attend the Macworld
event to get the latest product news and updates
from the iconic CEO.
Apple is not escaping
the global financial slowdown either, with US Mac
sales declining by 1% from last year in November
while industry-wide PC sales rose by 2%. The fall
has been in desktop sales, where Macs have taken a
35% drop. Windows-based PCs have also suffered as
lower-priced laptop computers have become more
popular.
Jobs told analysts in October the
company wasn't cutting prices on Macs - it has
traditionally steered away from budget computers
in favor of high-end only systems. This has been
good news for rivals such as Hewlett Packard and
Dell, which have been cutting prices on their
notebook computers.
Windows-based PCs have
fallen in price by 35-45%, whereas Macs have only
seen a 5-10% reduction; the results are seen at
the consumer level where in these hard times money
in the wallet matters the most.
Internet Google has been accused
of hypocrisy this week amid claims that the search
giant has taken back its advocacy for net
neutrality and has been trying to broker deals
with Internet service providers (ISPs) to give its
content priority bandwidth. A report by The Wall
Street Journal claimed that Google, Microsoft and
Yahoo had approached providers and offered to
share costs if they could get a fast track for
their content in return.
Network
neutrality is a concept whereby each content
provider gets equal access to networks available.
Google has traditionally been one of its largest
backers. The company reacted quickly to the report
by stating that it still stands by its promise of
net neutrality support but has been in talks with
ISPs regarding lowering bandwidth costs through a
system called "edge caching".
The system
speeds up Internet access by temporarily storing
frequently accessed data on servers that are
located closer to the providers and users. If
Google is paying for the servers that are located
at the ISP then it may seem that they are paying
for improved network performance of their content.
Google spokesman Richard Whitt stated on
the company blog that "by bringing YouTube videos
and other content physically closer to end users,
site operators can improve page load times for
videos and web pages. In addition, these solutions
help broadband providers by minimizing the need to
send traffic outside of their networks and
reducing congestion on the Internet's backbones."
The debate rages on as to whether edge
caching, which is not a new concept, is in
violation of net neutrality, and as usual Google
gets the most fingers pointed at it.
Science There has been a lot of
talk about dark energy this week as scientists
take a step closer to being able to explain and
measure the elusive all encompassing force. A
Tuesday press release from Harvard's Chandra X-ray
Observatory, which is operated by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
stated that astronomers and physicists have
clearly seen the effects of dark energy on the
most massive collapsed object known in the
universe.
Dark energy is estimated to
comprise 74% of the universe with 22% being dark
matter and the remaining 4% being solid matter
such as planets, stars and us. Up until now,
science has yet to find a way of quantifying or
studying the intangible 96% of the content in the
universe beyond this planet. Dark energy has been
described as a repulsive gravitational force
responsible for the continued and accelerated
expansion of the universe.
By studying the
growth of distant galaxy clusters over a number of
years the scientists have seen an increase in mass
over time which aligns with a universe dominated
by dark energy. The ultimate fate of the universe,
based on these latest dark energy discoveries,
will be a continual expansion forever, but we'll
probably have to wait a few billion years before
we notice fewer stars in our night sky.
Martin J Young is an Asia Times Online correspondent based in Thailand.
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