MOVE. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

HOMELAND SECURITY HAS ISSUED

A WARNING FOR PEOPLE ON THE

INTERNET. TELLING THEM NOT

TO USE ONE OF THE MOST

POPULAR INTERNET BROWSERS.

>> PAM: OUR TECH REPORTER

GABE SLATE IS HERE FILL US

IN.

>> REPORTER:THIS IS A

SERIOUS THREAT.

DO NOT USE MICROSOFT'S WEB

BROWSER "INTERNET EXPLORER"

UNTIL THEY ISSUE AN UPDATE

CONTAINING A PATCH FOR A

SECURITY HOLE THAT HAS BEEN

DISCOVERD.

>> REPORTER:I=E. IS USED BY

ABOUT 50-PERCENT OF THE

DESKTOP COMPUTERS OUT THERE

SO THIS AFFECTS A LOT

PEOPLE.

IT IS RARE THAT THE

GOVERNMENT ISSUES A WARNING

LIKE THIS

>> REPORTER:SO. WE SHOULD

ALL TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND

TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT

OURSELVES. .

>> REPORTER:THE DEPARTMENT

OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S

COMPUTER EMERGENCY READINESS

TEAM ISSUED THIS WARNING FOR

PEOPLE TO NOT USE INTERNET

EXPLORER.

>> REPORTER:THIS ARM OF THE

GOVERNMENT REGULARLY ISSUES

BROWSER ADVISORIES, BUT IT'S

RARE THAT THEY RECOMMEND

THAT PEOPLE AVOID USING A

SPECIFIC BROWSER.

>> REPORTER:THEY ARE

ADVISING PEOPLE TO USE A

DIFFERENT WEB BROWSER LIKE

CHROME, FIREFOX, OR SAFARI

UNTIL MICROSOFT RELEASES A

PATCH.

>> REPORTER:THIS SECURITY

HOLE THAT HAS BEEN

DISCOVERED IN I=E LETS

HACKERS CONTROL A COMPUTER

REMOTELY AND GAIN ACCESS TO

SENSITIVE PERSONAL

INFORMATION.

>> REPORTER:KEEP IN MIND.

ANYONE IN CONTROL OF YOUR

COMPUTER CAN SPY ON

EVERYTHING YOU DO. IF IT'S A

PC AT WORK, HACKERS CAN

REACH INTO ANYTHING AN

EMPLOYEE HAS ACCESS TO.

>> REPORTER:THIS TYPE OF

ATTACK IS PARTICULARLY

NASTY, BECAUSE IT AFFECTS

EVERY VERSION OF THE WEB

BROWSER FROM IE6 THROUGH

IE11.

>> REPORTER:BECAUSE THE HACK

USES A CORRUPTED ADOBE FLASH

FILE TO ATTACK THE VICTIM'S

COMPUTER, USERS CAN AVOID IT

BY DISABLING ADOBE FLASH.

>> REPORTER:THERE IS ALSO

SPECIAL SOFTWARE YOU CAN RUN

ON YOUR COMPUTER CALLED

"ENHANCED MITIGATION

EXPERIENCE TOOLKIT"

>> REPORTER:BUT IF YOU WANT

A SIMPLE WAY TO DEAL WITH

THIS THREAT UNTIL MICROSOFT

SENDS OUT AN IE UPDATE TO

FIX THIS. JUST OVOID USING

INTERNET EXPLORER FOR NOW.

>> REPORTER:MICROSOFT WILL

GET THE FIX OUT AS SOON AS

THEY CAN PROBABLY WITHIN A

FEW DAYS.