The Security Mentor

If you look at the fine print for Microsoft's latest announcement, most of the problems do not affect XP Service Pack 2.

That tells us something important. What this means is that Microsoft got ahead of the game and prevented problems from happening.

Unfortunately, the flaws in Internet Explorer also affect XP SP2. If you don't install the fixes then bad guys can take over your computer if you continue using Internet Explorer.

If you won't take my advice about using a different browser, then consider this quote from security industry leader Bruce Schneier in SearchSecurity magazine:

I think it's foolish to use Internet Explorer. It's filled with security holes, and it's too hard to configure it to have decent security. Basically, it seems to be written in the best interests of Microsoft and not in the best interests of the customer. I have used the Opera browser for years, and I am very happy with it. It's much better designed, and I never have to worry about Explorer-based attacks.