Run, Don't Walk...
July 1, 2004
After my recent blazing of IE and Microsoft, you might be quick to skim over this, writing it off as another rant from a MacHead. Not so fast. Do you use online banking? Do you use Internet Explorer to do so? Do you like to send everything needed to access your bank account to a hacker? If not, you better read on.
Let's get right to it. This article from Business Week Online and this one from eWeek say it all. You are not safe handling online financial services with Internet Explorer. Hackers and makers of spyware can implant software on your machine to track your input when accessing online banking, and walla, they have full access to your money. Sound fun? I didn't think so.
UPDATE July 2: More ammo, now the Dept of Homeland Security is recommending you use another browser.
So what do you do? Well, get another browser. Now. There is a problem though, many online banking services require Internet Explorer, nothing else. If that is the case, I would shoot your bank a quick e-mail directing them to the above articles. Most provide an alternative, however, usually Netscape. Some will even work with the best browser out there for the PC, Firefox. Just check with your individual bank for their browser requirements. If you are on a Mac, you have already been through all this and are not susceptible to this bug. Nice isn't it? Who says being on a Mac is more expensive. At least my financial data is safe.
So if no other factor will make you change browsers, this one should. This is serious business now, run, don't walk, to a new browser. And who knows, you might just like it...
Filed under News, Rants, Technology
Comments
Doy says:
Man...I just shot three articles to our business manager here, and I'm hoping we switch everyone at the school to this new browser. This is bad!
I read another one in Wired...found it through Dominey's site.
Brad#1(in AB) says:
Right on. I've been running Firefox/bird/other Mozilla browsers for a couple of years (or, before it was popular and just geeky) and the only other choice is Opera for a customizable, easy-to-use, feature-rich, correctly displaying web-site browser.
Comments are closed for this entry
KC says:
Thanks for the info Daily. Great articles, and I will be passing the link to this page and the article along to everyone in my address book. I have been running Firefox for about 2 months now, and it is great, that is when my Windows powered PC is functioning properly (went through six shut down and restarts last night), but I am inching closer to moving into the MAC community!
KC