Friday, December 10, 2004

Pennsylvania State U. Advises Computer Users on Its Network Not to Use Microsoft Browser By VINCENT KIERNAN Printer friendly E-mail article Subscribe Order reprints HEADLINES   Pennsylvania State U. advises computer users on its network not to use Microsoft browser 2 colleges in Massachusetts halt benefits for same-sex partners, now that they may marry TIAA-CREF is subject of inquiry by securities-industry regulators U. of Notre Dame president criticizes his own institution's firing of football coach Bowl-bound football teams fail to graduate many players, studies find Federal indictment accuses former Morris Brown president and aid officer of $5-million fraud Worried about persistent security flaws in Microsoft's Internet Explorer, officials at the Pennsylvania State University system have taken the unusual step of recommending that students, professors, and staff members stop using the popular Web browser. "The threats are real, and alternatives exist," the university said in an announcement posted on its Web site this week. Penn State appears to be the first American college to recommend against the use of Internet Explorer. However, the CERT Coordination Center, a federal computer-security center operated by Carnegie Mellon University, made a similar recommendation to the public earlier this year. Internet Explorer, which is distributed free by the Microsoft Corporation, has more than 90 percent of the worldwide browser market. That popularity has made it a favorite target of hackers, who take advantage of the fact that Internet Explorer is much more closely integrated with the Windows operating system than are other browsers. Some security experts also say that Internet Explorer is riddled with bugs. Just this month, Microsoft disclosed that a hacker could seize control of computers that used Internet Explorer to browse a Web site that contained computer coding written by the hacker. The corporation released a patch to correct that defect. "There have been so many problems," Robin Anderson, director of customer communications for Penn State's department of information-technology services, said of the Microsoft program. A Microsoft official defended the company's browser, pointing to "significant security enhancements" made to Internet Explorer as part of a recent upgrade to the Windows XP operating system. Internet Explorer remains "a compelling choice," Anthony Salcito, general manager of a Microsoft education division, said in a written statement. "While Internet Explorer is the choice of hundreds of millions because of the unique value it provides," Mr. Salcito said, "we respect that some customers will choose an alternative." Ms. Anderson said that computer users at Penn State could download several alternatives to Internet Explorer from the university's Web site. The choices include Firefox, Netscape Communicator, and Opera. She cited reports that the new Firefox Web browser, for example, is much less prone than Internet Explorer to download so-called spyware, or programs surreptitiously placed on a computer in order to record confidential information such as passwords. Firefox is not a commercial product but an open-source program created by volunteer programmers around the globe. Because its programming is open to inspection, defects should be easier to locate and fix, Ms. Anderson said. Penn State is not banning the use of Internet Explorer, and the university will continue to provide technical support for those who wish to use it, Ms. Anderson said. In fact, in some cases, users will have no choice but to rely on Internet Explorer. For example, only Internet Explorer is capable of downloading patches for Microsoft software. Background articles from The Chronicle: Plugging Holes in the Security Dike (10/8/2004) Commentary: Whether Linux or Windows, No Software Is Secure (9/24/2004) Microsoft Fixes Problems in Windows XP but Creates Others for Colleges (9/10/2004) Security: Threats Will Get Worse (1/30/2004) Attacks Threaten Computer Networks as Students Arrive for the Fall Semester (9/5/2003) Microsoft's Plan to Improve Computer Security Could Set Off Fight Over Use of Online Materials (2/21/2003) The Growing Vulnerability of Campus Networks (3/15/2002)