TOPIC: Internet Explorer 7 Released!
Why it happened during the evening is anyone's guess. BUT, BusinessWeek filed a report at 8:00pm last night -- stating that IE7 is live.

OCT. 18 8:01 P.M. ET - Microsoft Corp. is giving its Web browser software its first major upgrade in years, amid signs that Internet Explorer's market share is eroding. The release late Wednesday brings Microsoft's browser more in line with competing products such as Opera Software ASA's Opera and Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox. Internet Explorer 7, or IE7, adds features such as tabbed browsing, which lets people open several Web pages without cluttering their desktop with multiple open browser windows. Microsoft has been heavily testing the new browser, releasing five beta versions over 14 months, and has periodically offered security updates for IE6, first released in 2001.
Still, a lag of more than five years between official releases has cost the company. Web analysis company WebSideStory estimates that Internet Explorer's U.S. market share is about 86 percent, while Firefox commands about 11 percent of the market and smaller offerings account for the rest. Two years ago, IE had about a 93 percent share. Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft's general manager for Internet Explorer, acknowledged the company could have done more sooner, but he said the new version should address users' concerns. "We did have active development," he said. "The question is whether it was enough."
Matt Rosoff, analyst with independent researchers Directions on Microsoft, said Internet Explorer is important to Microsoft's business because most people believe an operating system should include a way to immediately access the Web. Still, he said, Microsoft may not have seen much reason to spend a lot of money upgrading sooner since most people continued to use the older version. Rosoff said the new product includes enough improvements to lure back some users. But Colin Teubner, an analyst with Forrester Research, said people already using Firefox and rival products might not immediately come back. That's partly because those users have soured on Microsoft, he said, and partly because IE7 doesn't break much new ground. "A year ago Firefox was head and shoulders above Microsoft's current offering, and I think even with IE7 it's mostly playing catch up," Teubner said. But he does recommend that IE6 users upgrade, and he believes Microsoft may surpass competitors with future improvements. Besides tabbed browsing, Microsoft has improved security to help keep users from falling victim to things like malicious software attacks and phishing scams. Microsoft products are a near-constant target of Internet attackers, and some people have recommended switching browsers because a less high-profile product might be more secure. The Redmond software maker also has added a box in the browser that lets people search the Internet without going to a separate Web page, much like competitors.
In a last-minute change, people who are upgrading from the previous version of the browser will now have a clearer way to choose whether they want to use Microsoft's search engine or a competing one from companies like Google Inc. or Yahoo Inc. The change announced Friday was one of several aimed at soothing antitrust worries in Europe, where Microsoft faces a longrunning regulatory battle. IE7 will be available as a free download beginning Wednesday evening. Next month, the company also will begin delivering it to Windows XP users who have signed up to automatically receive security fixes. Hachamovitch said that's because the product makes major security improvements. Such distribution also will provide a powerful tool in countering competition from rival browsers.
Security updates typically download with little or no user intervention, but with IE7 people will get an extra opportunity to elect not to upgrade. Also, even people using automatic updates will have to agree to let Microsoft check whether their copy of Windows is pirated before they can get IE7. Microsoft expects that it will take months to gradually release IE7 automatically. The browser also will be an integral part of Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista, due out for big businesses in November and for consumers in January.

I would suggest NOT switching back to Internet Explorer until it has proven itself not to be the security risk that was IE6. IE7 doesn't offer anything that Firefox hasn't had for months (or longer). Maybe I'm being cynical, but as an IT professional, I simply don't trust that Internet Explorer 7 will be as secure as advertised.

TOPIC: IE Bug Can Be Exploited Via E-Mail
Just previewing a message could result in a computer hijacked by a bot or loaded with adware, spyware, or other malicious code, a researcher says.

By Gregg Keizer / TechWeb

Exploits against the unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer are increasing and attackers are gathering momentum, researchers said Thursday. They warned that the problem would become worse if cyber criminals attack via e-mail next. "It might come to nothing, but it feels like a storm's coming," said Roger Thompson, the chief technology officer at Exploit Prevention Labs. "The potential is there. Call it a storm watch, not a storm warning."
At least two different exploits have appeared this week, said Thompson, one linked to the Russian-made hacker exploit kit called WebAttacker, the other posted early Thursday on the xSec gray-hat vulnerability research site. That second exploit can launch remote code without using JavaScript, as did the original inserted in the WebAttacker kit; it's more dangerous for that reason. "The xSec exploit doesn't work as posted," said Thompson. "It only crashes the browser. But it looks like it would be easy to turn it into a working exploit."
Worse, the current attack vector -- malicious Web sites that infect only those who happen to view one of their pages -- may be replaced by a wide scale attack carried out by e-mail, said Ken Dunham, the director of iDefense's rapid response team. "The newest exploit works with e-mail," said Dunham. "We took the newest version of Outlook, all patched, and the exploit crashed it." With some help from iDefense researchers, however, the exploit was able to execute other code. That means e-mail clients that preview HTML messages using the IE rendering engine are at risk. Just previewing a message could result in a computer hijacked by a bot or loaded with adware, spyware, or other malicious code. "You would be attacked immediately, as soon as the preview is rendered," said Dunham.
Dunham's surer than Thompson that the VML vulnerability will soon explode. "It's imminent. I would not be surprised if a small number of e-mails were already being sent to companies or governments."
"It would be nice if Microsoft released a patch," he added. But there are no indications that Microsoft will break from its regular security update schedule, which is set to release fixes on October 12th, two-and-a-half weeks away. For Dunham, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that slick, sophisticated cyber criminals will target specific organizations -- companies, universities, and government agencies -- with e-mail infections. "There are people out there with a military or state or political agenda. They have targets, and they've identified those targets. All they're doing is looking for a way to compromise those computers."
The motivation? One of the oldest in the book: Money. "There is a market in the underground for corporate or government secrets," said Dunham. "An attack [like this] could even threaten a country's national security."

Isn't it time we all switched from Internet Explorer to a more secure browser? Website authors should stop forcing us to use IE6 and get smart -- or they may be left in the dust cloud of vulnerabilities and malware. The root of the problem lies with Microsoft, though. They are to blame for the holes that plague Internet Explorer. Microsoft is the ONLY ONE that can fix the problem -- yet they constantly choose to put bandaids on a gaping wound. I don't want government interference in Internet matters, so maybe it's time large private sectors companies and public interest groups started putting TONS of pressure on Microsoft.
Personally, I use Firefox 99% of the time and Internet Explorer only on sites that require it. Even then, I send nastygrams to the webmaster telling them how shortsighted and insecure their websites are for forcing IE use. THINK it over and then ACT folks. It's high time Microsoft's feet was held to the fire.

TOPIC: Microsoft Unveils the Zune
Rex Crum from MarketWatch.com reports, "Microsoft Corp. [has] unveiled Zune, a 30-gigabyte music and video player that marks the software giant's entry into a digital-media player market dominated by Apple Computer Inc. with its 80Gb iPod.
Microsoft said Zune will come with a three-inch screen, which is larger than the iPod's two-inch video screen, as well as built-in wireless and FM-radio tuning technology -- features that also aren't available on the iPod.

Additionally, Microsoft launched what it calls the Zune Marketplace, an online music site where customers can purchase individual songs or buy a subscription that allows the purchase of unlimited songs for a flat fee.

Microsoft said the Zune would be available in time for the holiday shopping season, but didn't immediately disclose prices for the product, or for songs bought through the Zune Marketplace. Katy Gentes, a Microsoft spokeswoman, said the Zune price would be "very competitive."

The company touted the features of Zune and Zune Marketplace, saying consumers will be able to use Zune's wireless capabilities to share sample tracks of certain songs, music playlists and pictures between Zune devices.

Microsoft's debut of Zune comes two days after Apple revamped its line of iPod media players to include an 80-gigabyte device that can play movies in addition to songs, TV shows and videos and digital pictures. Apple also showed off a new 8GB flash memory version of its iPod Nano device and a 1Gb iPod Shuffle that is about the size of a matchbook.

Microsoft is seen as having its work cut out for it in the media-player market. Apple has a five-year headstart with the iPod, and the latest figures from NPD Group say the iPod has 75% of the U.S. market for digital media players."

Check out ZuneTalk.com for up to date information and discussions on Zune and Zune Marketplace.

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