Micron
16-02-2006, 09:50 PM
While Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates told security professionals that security is job number one on Tuesday, he's leaving it up to developers like those working up the next version of Internet Explorer to make it happen.
Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7), said Gary Schare, director of product management for IE, will reduce the chance that spyware spreaders can use silent drive-by downloads to infect PCs with malicious software.
"Drive-by download" is the term for the hacker practice of using vulnerabilities, usually those in a browser, but sometimes within Windows, to install software when users simply surf to a malicious Web site.
"There are two primary ways that drive-by downloads are done, either through a vulnerability in IE itself or an add-on, or because the user has the security setting set too low," said Schare.
IE 7, which is currently in beta preview for Windows XP, will slash some of the first and offer a tool to help users avoid the second, Schare promised.
Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7), said Gary Schare, director of product management for IE, will reduce the chance that spyware spreaders can use silent drive-by downloads to infect PCs with malicious software.
"Drive-by download" is the term for the hacker practice of using vulnerabilities, usually those in a browser, but sometimes within Windows, to install software when users simply surf to a malicious Web site.
"There are two primary ways that drive-by downloads are done, either through a vulnerability in IE itself or an add-on, or because the user has the security setting set too low," said Schare.
IE 7, which is currently in beta preview for Windows XP, will slash some of the first and offer a tool to help users avoid the second, Schare promised.