Change in Internet browsers recommended

Over the past several months, considerable attention has been paid to the security problems surrounding Microsoft's Internet Explorer by the general news media and information technology departments in higher education. The Computer Emergency and Response Team, Carnegie Mellon University's federally funded research group formed to deal with security issues on the Internet, has issued numerous vulnerability alerts and recommends that users switch to a different Web browser.

As a result, Penn State's Information Technology Services (ITS) is urging that the University computing community use standards-based Web browsers other than Internet Explorer to help minimize exposure to attacks that occur through browser vulnerabilities. Web browser options include Firefox, one of several alternatives available for Windows, Mac and other operating systems. It works with all Web-based applications used at Penn State: ANGEL, eLion, AIS applications, etc., and is well-supported by the ITS Help Desks. Other viable Web browsers include Mozilla, Netscape Communicator and Opera, which can be found at the ITS downloads site at https://downloads.its.psu.edu/ on the Web. The Safari Web browser for Apple computers is available at http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

ITS has made this recommendation because the threats are real and alternatives exist to mitigate Web browser vulnerabilities. All of the recommended alternative Web browsers easily can import bookmarks and most other settings that had been used in Internet Explorer. To see other important actions that can be taken to ensure safer computing, visit http://its.psu.edu/takecontrol/