You probably should avoid using Internet Explorer for the next few days as Microsoft develops a fix for for a new security problem.

The security hole makes the computer vulnerable to being hijacked when the user is tricked into visiting websites that have malicious programming code on them. The code then extracts passwords and other data from the computer.

According to Trend Micro Inc, over 10,000 sites have been compromised since last week. Because there is almost no way that users can fight off an attack, the security holes are especially lucrative for criminals seeking to take advantage of them.

Microsoft has said that it is investigating the problem and is considering fixing it with a patch that will be issued soon, rather than waiting for their monthly update.

In the meantime, you should consider using another web browser, such as Firefox. In fact, with all the problems that Internet Explorer seems to continue to have, you should be using Firefox all the time.