GEC NEWS WIREReport finds number of exploit attacks on Microsoft components grew in 2014
Internet Explorer has topped a list of the most frequently targeted Windows components. Prepared by ESET, the report titled ‘Windows exploitation in 2014’ also found that usage of Windows XP, that is no longer supported by Microsoft, remains high and users of this OS are at greater risk due to the lack of Microsoft’s latest anti-exploit security features.
“2014 was especially hard on users of the Internet Explorer browser, as Microsoft addressed twice as many vulnerabilities as in 2013,“ explains Mohamed Djenane, Security Specialist, ESET Middle East. “Microsoft was highly active and quick to address a large number of these vulnerability in the same year itself, thus reducing the risk for users.”
The most notorious example of an Internet Explorer vulnerability being exploited in the wild was the Unicorn bug. Djanane believes there is good news in store for loyalists of Microsoft’s internet browsing applications. “The software giant is set to release a new web browser code named Spartan with Windows 10. It will act as a total replacement of Internet Explorer and we expect it to have the most advanced technology available among web browsers,” he said.
