Internet Explorer®
8, 9 & 10
Summary:
In response to a lot of discomfort Internet Explorer 7 has caused, Microsoft has released new versions of Internet Explorer. They have made them a sneaky upgrade that is very difficult to un-install. So you may already have it installed for you with all the proprietary selections selected on a network. Microsoft is focusing on tunneling your surfing activities to their content and paid content from their friends.
Review of Internet Explorer 9 & 10 (IE 9 & IE 10- only for Windows 7)
The emphasis of these new versions is to protect your information while browsing on the Internet. It does not say "to protect you while are on the Internet" from scams, viruses or instructions by trojans, downloads or malware, like a good Internet Security program should.
However, Microsoft has allows in IE 9 "Tracking Protection" to limit the browser's communication with certain websites—determined by a Tracking Protection List. This is meant to assist you in keeping details about yourself- more private. Since you create your own Tracking Protection List for the most part and a Tracking list is available from Microsoft online. Though, we are not sure who will decide with sites will end on this list?
IE 10 builds on full hardware acceleration (IE 9- feature ) and continues our focus on site-ready Web-standards,” said Dean Hachamovitch, IE’s corporate vice president, in an announcement on April 12, 2011. There is a preview available on the Microsoft site which will be updated over the next few months before final release for Windows 7 users.
Microsoft has not liked ActiveX even though they use themselves in many programs including Explorer. ActiveX as a technology that a few web developers use to create interactive content on their sites, such as gathering data, viewing certain kinds of files, and displaying animation, which by the way, we like.
What people do like to interact on sites, like Yahoo, FaceBook and Instant messengers that provide live answers to their questions and comments, file in forms, instant feedback and support- they can be a security threat. As such, you can use Internet Explorer 9 to block ActiveX controls for all sites, and then turn them back on for only the sites that you trust and of course, their sites.
Any attempt by Microsoft to help protect our security and privacy better is long overdue. We welcome improvements as long as we do not have to compromise more of ourselves to Microsoft. You can view more information about security and privacy features, here.
Being so new, we are evaluating the pros and cons to your safety and security of Explorer 9 and will update you as things become more apparent of IE 9 intentions. Right off the bat, when you install IE 9, it wants you to make choices from My List and encourages you to pick their site as your Home page. We use the Blank option to keep everyone off our Home page so we can decide. Click on "Tools" top bar, then Internet Options" and you will find General - Home Page Selection. Click on "Useblank" to have your browser come up about:blank before starting your surfing.
Review of Internet Explorer 8
New Privacy options?
Foremost, Microsoft is touting IE 8 as having more privacy features which allow you erase or not save your surfing history or when using someone's else's computer with InPrivate Filtering and Browsing. Quite frankly, all providers are not saying what they are doing with your stats they capture on their end. But rest assured they are capturing your activities your surfing habits in order to channel more and more paid advertising in your direction. That said, at least you know what is happening vs. trying to make sense of Privacy Statements that contradict themselves into uselessness.
MS was listening to your cries for less eyes. The InPrivacy browsing feature allows you to prevent your browsing history and cache files from being saved. Why do we think that is important? Many intrusive programs steal this information for harmful purposes. Others use it to build profiles of your use to target advertising, send spam email and/or snatch your identity from banking sessions, etc. Some may suggest that you can hide your secret browsing activities though you can be sure your traces are still not exempt from servers at the other
end. One item, we do not like is the blocking of sites we use on a regular basis that certificate has expired without the option of proceeding to that site at on own risk- not uncommon on non- Microsoft sites.
While using the new InPrivate function in IE8, your computer will not retain your usernames or passwords. The same is true when you fill in most web forms and it blocks cookies. Please note, it is not turned on by default so you have to turn it on by opening a new tab and click the Start InPrivate Browsing link. We not using it for every day use but for all our banking sessions- though we have noticed our IE folders growing with every use. MS is still watching!
As we have suggested- get rid of as many toolbars as possible that latched onto you when you bought your new computer. (Ever wondered who gets PAID to put them on your computer?)
For those of us that were wondering why their IE 7-especially Messenger- crashes and hangs up for no apparent reason, MS has fixed it in IE 8- we think. In addition, Internet Explorer 8 is not as brutally slow as IE 7- probably because it is not sucking up as much info as it is delivering. We feel licensed software offers too many advantages in the security dept. to be without in today's intrusive environment especially in your personal time.
For those that are wondering how to get out of Instant Messenger or IE 7 when it hangs up, you can go to Task Manager and purposely stop the process- then re-start it.
Internet Explorer 8 is faster but you can still not get over the physical limitations of your Internet connection. New features we use are accelerators- browser add-ins that make it easier to apply a task to highlighted text on a web page. http://ieaddons.com/en/accelerators/ .
We use it to translate, find a map (Right Click on highlighted location and map with the Live Maps accelerator) or get the proper definition for words without having to cut and paste them into another web site you have to find and load. Accelerators make daily routines faster which means it saves you valuable time. Yes, the providers of accelerators want to you become dependent of them. So far, we have found most add-ons to be more of a pain that a help. They are probably paying Microsoft big time for the privilege of dominating a piece your browser. You can always go to Tools> Manage Add-ons >and selectively Disable Tools bars- Decide for yourself what Search providers and Delete many Accelerators (Most you probably didn't even know were installed and jockeying for your attention and slowing your surfing down.)
Yes, it does not seem to like working well with Windows Messenger- just like Outlook Express. Hopefully, MS will straighten the freezing problem out. You can enter your Task Manager to shut down Messenger. Also, some of the Accelerators want to dominate your surfing activities. We want more freedom not less guys! And even with InPrivacy, our files grew so MS is watching even more. It is still not a replacement for a good disk cleansing program or encryption so don't be fooled by the marketing that you feel kind of warm and fussy.
In short, we expect to see more privacy innovation like InPrivate in all browsers. FireFox and Google are making steps also but one has to wonder is all of this going to be proprietary anyway? In other words- have all the privacy you want but you won't keep any secrets from us. At least for now, feel safer in researching that new car you are not supposed to have or while using your browser at work to check to see if your pay check is in- yet.
There is still no substitute to a quality Internet Security package. Do not be fooled by browser software that masks their true intension of gathering your information at every turn including your LIVE/BING activity & searches. Your security can not be protected by a browser program with no virus or spyware protection.
