Why Keep Using IE6? 5 Reasons Some People Have Not Upgraded

Network world has an interesting article about how Microsoft is pushing hard to get everybody off of IE6. They describe some really good reasons to upgrade. It got me thinking about why people still have the IE6 browser at all?


With a bit of research, here are the top reasons why so many people still have IE6:

1. Certain commercial apps do not support newer versions of IE without major upgrades. With funds for maintenance and upgrades slashed during the recession, it may be very difficult to obtain the necessary dollars to get the latest version of vendor software that supports new versions of IE.

2. Some internal apps do not support newer versions of IE. IE 6 offered a proprietary API that is not the same as current versions. If your development team has moved on or did not upgrade, the necessary knowledge of how to upgrade your application may now be missing.

3. IE6 uses less RAM then later versions – installing a new browser version may require you to upgrade the hardware or sacrifice the performance of other more critical applications. This cost factor encourages some to delay the upgrade.

4. Long refresh cycles – some industries do not refresh their technology until about 5 to 7 years of usage. Those of us in technology live around it and want the latest and greatest but, not everyone needs the most advanced technology immediately.

5. This does leave out the groups of people who simply have not upgraded because they don’t care to do any updates and those who ignore all new browser versions for various reasons.

If you haven’t made the leap, consider evaluating your situation and creating an upgrade plan that gets you off of IE6 before 2014 when Microsoft stops supporting XP and IE6. After that, no more security patches for new vulnerabilities.

The iPad – The Network Manager’s Friend or Foe?

So I’ve heard all the buzz about the iPad - pretty much impossible to avoid unless you live in a cave. Other than the unfortunate name, I’m intrigued by the technology and its potential to make managing a network a bit easier. I haven’t bought one yet, since I’m still determining, if it’s a network manager’s friend or foe at the moment.

On the plus side, from what I’ve read due to its size, it is much better than carrying around a larger laptop to monitor, troubleshoot or configure network devices. You could easily load ebooks to help you with troubleshooting in real-time. It definitely beats heading over to the office desk to grab a book for reference.

On the negative side, the iPad could easily become a security concern on the wireless network without antivirus and firewall protection. Connecting a device that is geared for personal use into the network could have some serious consequences. The usefulness of the iPad will also be dependent on the applications that are developed to help monitor the network.

Sounds like there is still some development work to be done from a security standpoint before the iPad is ready for prime time for network managers. That being said, as the technology matures and security concerns are resolved it could become a very helpful tool. Are you using the iPad? What do you think?

Security Makes the Headlines Again....

Interesting article in the WSJ recently about a tool called Skygrabber that insurgents are using to intercept video feeds from US drones over Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course the attention has overwhelmed the skygrabber.com website and is a lesson on being ready for your moment when it arrives but, the real issue here is one of security and how commercial enterprises are thriving on attacking vulnerabilities in networks and making a profit in doing so.



Here is a quote from Andrew Solonikov, one of the software’s developers.


"It (the software) was developed to intercept music, photos, video, programs and other content that other users download from the Internet -- no military data or other commercial data, only free legal content," he said by email from Russia.


Um, last time I checked, “free, legal content” can be downloaded and does not need to be intercepted. Intercepted is what you do when others own the content and you want to steal it. Looks like Andrew and friends don’t mind stealing from musicians, movie producers and software companies but, don’t want to mess with the military.

Any bets that the US intel community is capable of monitoring who downloads this software?

Home Networking Security...Beware

Guess what happened to me the other day? I was using a DynDNS service to remote into my house and mis-typed the IP address. Instead of being rejected, I was provided a prompt to a DVR system login (I don’t have a DVR). I did a quick Google search for default DVR username/passwords and found a large list of common username and passwords.


It’s amazing how many home devices are now IP enabled, but also concerning when you think about how many people are still using the default password info that comes with the device.
Hopefully it becomes common practice for everyone (inside our industry and outside of it) to change the default information, whenever they get a new device.

P.S.
Did you know there will be 215 million IP enabled devices by 2012?