CAUTION: Internet Explorer vulnerability

Published May 5, 2014
By Airman 1st Class William Johnson
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has issued an official warning to Windows customers using any modern version of Internet Explorer, from IE6 to IE11, and recommends using a different browser until Microsoft pushes out a fix.

All members of Team Dover should refrain from accessing sites that end in ".com" or ".org", unless using a different browser such as Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Using Internet Explorer to access ".mil" sites is okay at this time but users should disable the Adobe Flash plugin.

Maj. Steven Pena, 436th Communications Squadron commander, said the vulnerability can be expected to affect client systems by allowing an attacker to remotely install malicious code that could be used to violate the integrity of stored system data and potentially compromise Dover's mobility mission.

"Disabling the Adobe Shockwave add-on will go a long way in mitigating the attack risk," said Pena. "The vulnerability in IE works in concert with Flash content to bypass security controls; moreover it will help keep our data safe and secure."

Exercise extreme caution with email programs during this time because phishing may be on the rise due to this vulnerability. Use the R-E-A-D methodology before opening emails: Relevant? Expected? Addressed properly? Digitally signed?

Users can also take additional steps to safeguard their personal computers and files from potential harm. Computers running the Windows 8 operating system should consider using Enhanced Protected Mode in IE to mitigate this vulnerability and protect your personal assets.

Microsoft will not be pushing an update for Windows XP users. Microsoft ended support for the operation system and recommends migrating to a modern OS, such as Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.