Microsoft to offer European users alternatives to Internet Explorer

Microsoft is to give Windows users in the European Union the option of choosing another web browser to replace the default Internet Explorer (IE) from 1 March.

The move is in line with a December 2009 agreement with EU competition authorities, who ruled that bundling IE with Windows abused Microsoft's dominant position to entrench its web browser.

The ruling followed an investigation by the EU in response to a complaint by Norwegian browser developer, Opera Software, that other browsers cannot compete with IE because of its bundling with Windows.

From 1 March, existing Windows users with IE set as the default browser will be presented with a ballot screen with a choice of alternative browsers, according to reports.

The ballot screen will be rolled across the whole of Europe as an automatic download in Windows Update for XP, Vista and Windows 7, but is already available in the UK, France and Belgium through Windows Update.

Microsoft has also committed to allow PC makers and consumers in Europe to turn IE off, to allow PC makers to ship any browsers of their choice with no restriction on the default.

Top 25 coding errors

International security organisations have updated and restructured a list of 25 common programming errors that cause security vulnerabilities and expose software users to cyber attack.

The US-funded collaboration project, which is managed by the Mitre and Sans Institute and brings together security experts from more than 30 global organisations, first compiled its list of 25 risky coding practices in January 2009.

The structure of the list has been modified to make it easier to use by distinguishing mitigations and general secure programming principles from more concrete weaknesses, the organisations said.

This year's top 25 entries are prioritised using inputs from more than 20 organisations, which evaluated each weakness based on prevalence and importance.

Cross-site scripting tops the list, which aims to help businesses improve their software procurement by requiring code to be free of these errors.

The goal is to force suppliers to test the security of their software and to provide customers with their test results. No one likes to share test results that show them writing bad code, said Alan Paller, director of research at the Sans Institute.

New York State is changing its procurement language to ensure that the top 25 errors are avoided, with other states expected to follow.

The integrity of hardware and software products is a critical element of cybersecurity, the Office of the Director of US National Intelligence said.

Creating more secure software is a fundamental aspect of system and network security and the top 25 programming errors initiative is an important component of an overall security initiative for our country, it said.

"We applaud this effort and encourage the utility of this tool through other venues such as cyber education," it said.

Google donates $2m to Wikimedia Foundation

Google is to donate $2m to the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs and maintains Wikipedia and other free, multilingual content for wiki-based projects.

The donation was announced in tweets on Twitter from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Wikimedia Foundation advisory board member Mitch Kapor.

Official announcements by Google and the Wikimedia Foundation are expected to follow the informal tweets, according to US reports.

The donation is in line with Google's generosity to foundations that promote a faster and more open web, but it is not yet clear if the move indicates a decision to abandon the Wikipedia-like Google Knol project launched in December 2007.