Is IE really not that safe?

[PLasticSlug]

I was reading the pc technical help section and came across that dude who's computer is all fuked up with viruses.

 

This brings me to ask.. What exactly makes IE so unsafe to use, i have been using it for over 2 years and never really had anything that norton didnt catch, or couldnt be found with adaware. (so am i good to go, just keep using it and ill be fine) or does the health of my pc balance on the edge of destruction with IE?

 

Then again there are really only about 7 sites that i really ever visit, could this be the key to staying safe?

 

What im looking for is an example, story, anything that would make me want to ditch IE. I would give it a shot, especially when i hear the same thing over and over from you guys in the other thread.

 

EDIT*** i think i even asked this before, i just need more of a reason.

Edited October 11, 2004 by PLasticSlug

[Daeval]

I would think it has to do with the fact that IE is by far the most popular browser, and therefore its vulnerabilities are the most targetted by would-be attackers.

 

If you really only visit a few sites, and those are trustworthy, you probably won't run into problems whatever browser you're using.

 

If you do decide to change, I've got to recommend Mozilla's Firefox. It's sleek and sexy, but full featured.

[Gryph]

ActiveX is on as default in IE so that's how it is more vunurable. Firefox can't even use ActiveX. And as Daeval said, Firefox is just too damn sexy. A lot of people are stupid and careless when they browse the interent and that's how they get into trouble. If you know what you are doing and how to deal with things effectively, then IE should be no problem. And most of the web exploits are written for IE specifically since it's filled with holes.

[Ryuken]

i asked my uncle this very same question and he told me that most people don't like microsoft and it's a big company so people keep trying to hack their program to prove their "skills" as a hacker

[AntiWinner22]

It depends. If you are retarded and go into a stuper when someone says "SSL," then I am sure your IE is going to be raped of private info very quickly.

 

I use IE because it doesn't use many resources (I am on a 63 MB RAM comp.) and it is compatible with every website in existance. I am smart about it, though, and I use Sygate (the best firewall) and keep away from shady sites. Use Spybot, too.

 

Anon.

[Green_LAntern]

since microsoft is so hated by hackers that makes IE is an easy target for them. It also depends on what sites you visit and if you are on google and search unkown sites you can get some spyware from that.

[random guy]

Here's an example: before I wised up about browsers and started using firefox, I was getting 10-12 bits of spyware per spysweeper scan (all of which got removed with spysweeper, but still), now that I'm using firefox it's very rare that I'll even get 1 piece of spyware per scan.

[Agozer]

Ie is a bit like swiss cheese; way too many holes And it's quite unstable + some animations slow down IE alot.

[Daeval]

Ie is a bit like swiss cheese; way too many holes And it's quite unstable + some animations slow down IE alot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The animations on my cheese slow down all the time! It's terrible!

[Agozer]

Ie is a bit like swiss cheese; way too many holes And it's quite unstable + some animations slow down IE alot.

 

The animations on my cheese slow down all the time! It's terrible!

You can actually see animations slow down; On another board this one dude had a GIF of Tarma (from Metal Slug) shooting with his pistol. It's pretty funny to watch when the shooting animation clearly slows down.

 

Not to mention that big GIF that Fatal had in his sig a while ago. That was murder in IE.

[PLasticSlug]

now this is a stupid question, but is the problem using it rather than not having at all, right? So i can keep it, use it if i ever have to (which was once told to me by someone) and not have any problems.

 

thanks for the info, ill check it out asap.

[Gryph]

Yeah, it's mainly how the general public uses it. IE's design isn't very secure and since most people it they get spyware and crap like that.

 

You can keep it and use it if you use safe browsing techniques such as going to trusted sites, not clicking anythign that looks like spyware, scanning regularly for spyware, etc.

 

I use Firefox because it's secure and customizable. Oh yeah, and tabbed browsing. Tabbed browsings OWNS all.

Edited October 11, 2004 by GryphonKlaw

[ken_cinder]

Internet Explorer is riddled with vulnerabilities, ActiveX (as stated previously) is on by default and shouldn't even be part of a web browser, and the browser has hooks directly into the OS, which no browser should have, it should be a seperate entity.

 

IE flaws:

#1 - Security, this thing has more holes than swiss cheese

#2 - PNG support is broken, and has been since v3, and MS refuses to fix it

#3 - It doesn't even follow standards, furthermore Microsoft seems to feel they can create standards of their own. This breaks compatibility and too many people write code only IE can use = BAD! (W3C doesn't even view IE as a "Browser", but merely an "HTML renderer"

 

The moral = Ditch Internet Explorer and use a more secure and standards compliant browser.

Edited October 11, 2004 by IJTF_Cinder

[alexis]

Opera is the best browsere i ever used by far

only few times had problems and even on those times with the continue from last time option that was solved

security issues? heh no, at least no that i can notice, not to mention it is very comfortable

[Agozer]

Opera and Mozilla are really the ones that people use nowadays. sadly, there are stiill people who use IE and are oblivious to it's fauits.