Internet Explorer: Microsoft plans 'silent' updates

Jay794 · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:12

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16214912

I skim read the article, to the point where they said the following parts:

to help beat scammers catching people out with fake updates.

Those who did not want their browser updated could opt out or uninstall the software, said Microsoft.

So basically, if people are pirating the software, they can opt out these updates, thus not actually making MS's software any more secure or less prone to piracy.

Lol @ Bill Gates

Dano · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:14

It's got nothing to do with piracy, it's about securing pc's against malicious code used to run botnets and the like.

Deadbeat · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:16

I don't see how that's relevant (Edit: OP, not Dano's post). All it's saying is that updates won't come in a download package OK'd by the user, so scammers posing as an IE update are less likely to get people to install spyware andthe like on their computer.

Besides, pirating Internet Explorer? It's free. Why would you pirate it?

Lol @ jay794

paradigm · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:16

Jay794 said:
Lol @ Bill Gates

Lol @ You.

Bill Gates has nothing to do with Day-To-Day running of Microsoft these days, he is a majority shareholder and very little else.

jamief · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:16

Its a fantastic idea - your average home user will not actively update their browser.

btw - are you 12? "LOL @ Bill Gates"?! Surely nobody can still dislike him?

Tummy · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:17

What's with the "LOL @ Bill Gates" ?

GravyMonster · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:17

Jay794 said:
So basically, if people are pirating the software, they can opt out these updates, thus not actually making MS's software any more secure or less prone to piracy.

Lol @ Bill Gates

That's pirate's own fault then isn't it.

As a web developer who's wasted what must amount to thousands of hours making sites work in IE6/IE7, all I can say is...

\o/

The next thing we need is for IE to disappear completely and let us all enjoy full crossbrowser HTML5 and CSS3 without needing to resort to things like modernizr.

Dunks · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:17

Another clueless post by the OP.

Cosimo · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:20

It's a very sensible way forward to get unsecure and outdated software updated.

Windows and Other Software discussion can be found here:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=9

nikebee · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:21

paradigm said:
Lol @ You.

Bill Gates has nothing to do with Day-To-Day running of Microsoft these days, he is a majority shareholder and very little else.

this

Jay794 · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:21

It's not clueless at all, but surely nobody is dumb enough to download "official updates" from anywhere except Windows Update. Like unsecure wireless, if you're dumb enough not to password it, you deserve to have it leeched lol

Dunks · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:22

Jay794 said:
It's not clueless at all, but surely nobody is dumb enough to download "official updates" from anywhere except Windows Update. Like unsecure wireless, if you're dumb enough not to password it, you deserve to have it leeched lol

What does your last sentence have to do with anything relating to the issue at hand?

Deleted member 77746 · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:23

Jailbreak iPhone = Less Secure.
Root Android phones = Less Secure.

Have a guess what I'm going to say about this too.

Cuchulain · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:24

Dunks said:
What does your last sentence have to do with anything relating to the issue at hand?

In fairness, most of his original post was completely irrelevant to the news article he posted. It's nothing to do with piracy.

GravyMonster · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:25

*ignore*

Jay794 · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:25

Dunks said:
What does your last sentence have to do with anything relating to the issue at hand?

It relates because, why would anybody download a windows update from anywhere else other than the MS site? the only way to get caught out by a fake update is if you someone end up on an official looking, but fake MS site. How likely is that to happen?

mrbell1984 said:
Jailbreak iPhone = Less Secure

Hardly, the people who code the jailbreaks also patch the holes that apple miss

Dano · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:25

Wonder how long it'll be before they take the same stance with windows itself?

Dunks · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:26

Jay794 said:
the only way to get caught out by a fake update is if you someone end up on an official looking, but fake MS site. How likely is that to happen?

Erm, extremely likely? Such sites do exist...

GravyMonster · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:26

Jay794 said:
It relates because, why would anybody download a windows update from anywhere else other than the MS site? the only way to get caught out by a fake update is if you someone end up on an official looking, but fake MS site. How likely is that to happen?

I take it you've never heard of phishing then.

I'd quit this thread while you still have some crediibility.

Dano · 16 Dec 2011 at 14:27

Jay794 said:
It relates because, why would anybody download a windows update from anywhere else other than the MS site? the only way to get caught out by a fake update is if you someone end up on an official looking, but fake MS site. How likely is that to happen?

It happens when legitimate websites get hacked, not everybody is computer literate enough to realise that a fake site or fake virus scan is fake.