No Internet Explorer warning from UK government

Posted on 19 Jan 2010 at 13:01

Following the news that both Germany and France's governments have advised users to avoid Internet Explorer on the grounds that it poses a security risk, The Telegraph has reported that the UK government will not be issuing a similar warning to British computer users.

A spokesman from the British Cabinet Office said the British government would instead be referring anyone who was concerned about cyber security to getsafeonline.org, a website full of advice on the risks and measures you can take to avoid being ripped off or having your identity stolen.

Last week Microsoft admitted Internet Explorer had weaknesses that allowed hackers to break in to the email accounts of human rights activists in China. Cliff Evans, head of Security and Privacy at Microsoft UK, advised those still using Internet Explorer 6 to update to version 8, a newer and more secure browser.

Microsoft will be updating IE in early February in line with the normal update frequency. However, Evans also said there might be an additional security update for the browser before the scheduled update as the vulnerability means that hackers may be able to gain access to people’s personal details. We advise sticking to Firefox, Chrome or an alternative browser until an update for Internet Explorer is released.

Author: Jim Martin

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