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| Firefox is increasing in popularity as an
alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer. |
Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus and
spam analysis centres, have advised businesses and home users to
update their version of the Mozilla Firefox web browser, in order
to protect against a critical security flaw.
Firefox 1.0.2 addresses a problem in the browser's handling of
animated GIF images. A malicious hacker could exploit the
vulnerability, by creating a carefully crafted GIF file that when
viewed by the browser would execute malicious code on the
computer.
"There's a lot of discussion on the internet at the moment as to
which web browser offers the highest level of security. What's
clear is that everyone who uses the internet has to make sure they
stay up-to-date with the latest security fixes. The increasing
popularity of Firefox will undoubtedly mean that its users will be
targeted by more hackers in the future," said Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant for Sophos. "With organised crime
increasingly attempting to steal from innocent users through
viruses, phishing attacks and spyware, no-one can afford to relax
when it comes to security."
More information about the new version of Firefox, which is
available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, can be found on Mozilla's website.
Firefox is said to have been downloaded by over 30 million
people, and has stolen market share from the leading web browser,
Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Sophos continues to recommend computer users practise safe computing as well as running
up-to-date anti-virus software.
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.