On
September 14, a security researcher discovered that the browser was
vulnerable to a piece of malware known as “Poison Ivy.” This is called
a, “zero-day exploit”. This happens when someone takes advantage of a
security vulnerability on the same day that the vulnerability becomes
generally known. There are zero days between the time the vulnerability
is discovered and the first attack.
Microsoft
is requesting those who use Internet Explorer versions 6 through 9 to
download and deploy its Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) as
a temporary workaround, while they work to develop a permanent
solution.
Microsoft
has released a temporary fix for a zero-day vulnerability in Internet
Explorer. Many experts say the EMET is so complicated that most computer
users would do better to switch to a different browser. Some popular
browsers are Firefox, Chrome or Opera.