Patch for IE Bug

As many of you are aware, support for Windows XP ended on April 8, 2014. Just 3 weeks later on April 26^th, Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 were at risk for attacks from malicious websites.  We released information regarding the IE patch on our social media channels the following Monday to ensure awareness and understanding. Luckily, this security issue was with Internet Explorer and can quickly be resolved simply by downloading and setting a new web browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox etc.) as your default browser. If you are not following ET on social media, now may be a good time to reconsider. We are on all the major channels including Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn & Facebook and are committed to serving up the most up-to-date technology news available to our friends & followers.

Originally, we issued a PSA regarding the discontinuation of support from Windows on the XP operating system to prepare businesses for potential security threats as well as OS update options. If you are still operating on the antiquated XP system, it should be no surprise that you are exponentially more vulnerable than more updated OS users. Yesterday afternoon (April 1) Microsoft released an update to address the uncovered remote code execution vulnerability affecting versions 6 through 11 of Internet Explorer for all users, including supposedly unsupported XP users. This update is creating buzz for two reasons: 1. the typical cycle for patches is Tuesday and this one was issued early due to its severity and 2. The patch included XP users even after support ended on the 8^th of April. Microsoft says this patch is an “exception” due to the “proximity of the end of support for Windows XP”. Regardless of the reason, the obsolete future of XP is inevitable and other vulnerabilities will likely surface.

It is important to be aware of IT security issues in order to mitigate your own business risk. Elevated Technologies’ clients can rest assured that not only are their networks as secure as possible, but that their IT Networks are also being monitored 24/7. If you’re still a fan of Internet Explorer, protect yourself and make sure to update your browser patch today in order to avoid any unwanted security threats!