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Resolution One: Use the Flaming Fox Instead of the Giant Blue "e"

Published in The Aggie on January 4, 2006

With the holidays and its merry celebrations a distant memory, it's time to start off the year with some useful resolutions. Here's one to add to your list: "I will consider using Firefox as my primary web browser instead of Internet Explorer."

As you may already know, Internet Explorer is Microsoft's web browser. You double click the big "e" and surf to your heart's content. However, you may not know that a number of security vulnerabilities in IE have been uncovered in the past few years, and other free browsers are available that work well and may be less vulnerable to security threats.

Case in point: this summer, an attack on over 50 international banks made headlines across the country. In this virtual scam, hackers acquired personal information from online banking customers who used Internet Explorer to access their accounts. As a result, the banks urged customers to switch to a more secure browser, such as Firefox.

Now Microsoft did fix that vulnerability, and is generally good about correcting other major flaws. But these fixes can often occur too late to be of help. For Mac users, looking for an alternative browser is even more important. Microsoft has stopped supporting Internet Explorer for Macs, meaning there will no more updates at all.

There are other benefits besides increased security for switching browsers. Browsers like Firefox (and Safari for Macs) offer features that Internet Explorer lacks. One example is tabbed browsing, which makes web surfing much easier by displaying new pages in tabs across the top or bottom of the screen instead of Internet Explorer's tiled windows method. Similarly, Firefox has a reliable, flexible pop-up blocker that prevents unwanted ad-style windows from appearing.

Firefox also makes it easy to limit access to cookies, small files on your computer that sites use to track your personal information and surfing habits. Deciding who has access to these files is a useful security feature you'll enjoy when switching browsers.

To download Firefox, visit http://getfirefox.com. If you're not comfortable with downloading and installing programs off the Internet, you can also get Firefox at IT Express (in 182 Shields Library), by requesting a free copy of UC Davis' own Internet Tools CD. Firefox is also available for Mac users, as is Safari, which is available via Apple's site (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/safari/).

A few caveats: even though you might want to switch browsers, remember that you should not completely delete or uninstall Internet Explorer. It may not be the safest way to surf the web, but it's an integral component of the Windows operating system. Some sites, such as Windows Update, require its use. Most importantly, even though Firefox may be a safer alternative to Internet Explorer today, you should always keep any browser up-to-date, since new exploits and loopholes are still discovered.

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