July 10, 2008
Your hard-working browser could be tempting prey for online attackers!
A July 2008 study, conducted by the Swiss Institute of Technology, Google, and IBM, yielded some interesting statistics regarding the number of users who do not update their browsers. The report estimates that more than 600 million users worldwide, or 45.2% of internet users, are at risk of compromise because they are not running the latest, most secure version of their browser. The report writers also believe that this may be the tip of the iceberg, which includes outdated and vulnerable browser plug-ins.
The study found that Firefox users were the most likely to be using the latest secured version of their browser. Firefox's update mechanism is remarkably effective; on average, users install the latest version within three days of its release. The authors also cite the long lead time for users to migrate to IE7 as part of the problem.
Flaws and vulnerabilities in web browsers can have severe effects if they are exploited by attackers. Successful exploitation of these security holes through the aid of malicious code can compromise and hijack users' machines. Therefore, applying the latest patches and updates to web browsers is a critical issue because attackers frequently tend to use websites to attack internet users.
Q-CERT recommends that, whichever browser you favor, you should always ensure that you have installed the latest security updates.