Microsoft will patch a hole in its Internet Explorer browser which allowed hackers in China to access human rights activists’ e-mail accounts, BBC News Online reports.
The company usually issues patches on the second Tuesday of each month but said the attention the news had received pushed it to act more quickly. Microsoft’s move follows the French and German governments’ decision to advise citizens to use other browsers.
Rivals of Internet Explorer, such as Firefox, have gained market share as a result. Firefox is now second to Internet Explorer in Europe, with 40pc of the market compared to Microsoft’s 45pc share, web analytics company StatCounter has shown.
In some markets, including Germany and Austria, Firefox has overtaken Internet Explorer, StatCounter said.
