USDA unit limits browsers to Internet Explorer

The USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service is taking policy into its own hands, banning browsers other than Internet Explorer on its workstations.

A memo emailed to CSREES employees said Netscape, Google Chrome and Firefox will be removed at the USDA division that supports research pertaining to agriculture at universities and other institutions. Agriculture spokesman Caleb Weaver said CSREES' browser restriction is not a departmentwide policy. USDA officials are still looking into why the office is implementing the policy, he said.

USDA employees had been told that Firefox browsers had allowed security breaches within the division.

For more on the USDA browser policy:
- see this nextgov.com article