Microsoft is doing something unprecedented: It wants you to break one of Internet Explorer's key features. Why? Because only by limiting the browser's functionality can you be sure of stopping a sneaky--and dangerous--new breed of Internet virus. This latest targeted attack scenario, which uses malicious code dubbed "Scob" or "downlad.ject," exploits three flaws: two in Windows and one in Internet Explorer. One of the holes involves JavaScript; targeting this flaw, the Scob code lets a hacker attach a program written in JavaScript to Web pages. If you visit an infected Web site, the program automatically executes in IE, and voila! you're infected. Taking advantage of these multiple flaws, a group of Russian crackers recently mounted attacks on several hundred Web sites--aimed at putting lots of visitors at risk. Included on their hit list were some very reputable sites.
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