Okay, so abandoning IE isn’t really a new thing, but now, people are leaving IE because their governments are issuing official proclamations recommending they do so. Both Germany and France have issued statements recommending that their citizens cease using Internet Explorer until Microsoft releases a patch to fix a security hole that allows clever hackers to take total control of a machine.

Security Experts at McAfee Labs have joined in the chorus, releasing a statement outlining IE’s role in the recent Chinese-sponsored attack on Google and several other US and European companies, noting that:

Internet Explorer is vulnerable on all of Microsoft’s most recent operating system releases, including Windows 7. Still, so far the attacks we’ve seen using this vector have been focused on Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft has been working with us on this matter and we thank them for their collaboration.

Microsoft’s statement on the issue confirms this, but also points out that versions 7 and 8 are also vulnerable:

Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, and Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 on supported editions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 are vulnerable.

Even when this security problem is patched, IE will still have problems inherent to its architecture, like the ActiveX system that ships with every version of IE.  The Mozilla knowledge base has this to say about ActiveX:

Because this system is capable of automatically downloading new ActiveX controls without your involvement, it has been exploited by spyware, viruses, and other malicious software. Internet Explorer has improved ActiveX security in a number of ways, and many of the security loopholes have been closed in IE 7. However, it is still relatively easy to download and activate a malicious ActiveX control on your computer.

So, while IE7 and especially IE8 may be better browsers than the much-maligned IE6, Internet Explorer is likely to continue its run as the least secure browser on the market.

If you’re still regularly using Internet Explorer, you should take this time to look at other browser options, such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or even Opera.

Update: Microsoft has patched this security hole.  I maintain that using Internet Explorer is hazardous to your computing health.

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