- Related Stories
-
Piecing together Windows Vista
November 8, 2006 -
Microsoft: Zombies most prevalent Windows threat
June 12, 2006 -
Microsoft adds another antiphishing partner
April 19, 2006 -
'Critical' megapatch sews up 10 holes in IE
April 11, 2006 -
Firefox to get phishing shield
March 8, 2006 -
IE 7 bugs abound
February 1, 2006 -
Allchin: Buy Vista for the security
January 27, 2006 -
Firefox gets a fifth of European market
January 17, 2006 -
Microsoft outlines IE 7 security plans
October 27, 2005 -
Reversal: Next IE divorced from new Windows
February 15, 2005 -
Gates: Security is top priority
January 17, 2002
(continued from previous page)
Microsoft has built new security features into the latest beta to try to get closer to that goal. For example, IE 7 allows users to switch on ActiveX controls--Web applications often used in attacks--as needed and encourages safe browser settings.
It also has a filter to protect users against prevalent data-stealing online scams known as phishing. These attacks typically use spam e-mail messages to lure victims to fraudulent Web sites, where they are duped into disclosing sensitive information such as credit card numbers and Social Security numbers.
Video: Microsoft's IE7 Beta 3
A look at the latest entry in the browser sweepstakes.
"(Phishing) is a growing problem, and it has not been solved yet," said Alan Packer, product unit manager for family safety and reputation services at Microsoft. "We're putting together a solution that is going to help a lot. But our adversaries are not sitting still, and we expect to be in for a battle."
Microsoft's phishing filter uses three methods to prevent people from surfing to spoofed sites, Packer said. It analyzes Web pages and checks for characteristics of phishing sites; it compares addresses to a blacklist of known bad sites; and it includes a list of known trusted Web sites. Firefox is also getting a phishing shield, with help from Microsoft rival Google.
IE 7 is also part of Windows Vista, the successor to Windows XP, where it promises more security. On Vista systems, IE 7 runs with fewer user privileges in a virtual sandbox. This means that any malicious software that attempts to run shouldn't be able to touch the underlying operating system, Microsoft has said.
Security is the primary feature of the browser, but it does have other bells and whistles, such as tabbed browsing, RSS support, a search box on a more streamlined toolbar and improved printing capabilities, concepts that should be familiar to Firefox users.
Feature changes between the beta 2 and beta 3 releases include giving users the capability to add an e-mail button on the toolbar, reorder tabs and scroll horizontally while zooming in on a Web site, Microsoft said. Users can also update all RSS feeds at once, the software maker said.
IE 7 beta 3 works only with Windows XP Service Pack 2. It is available from Microsoft's Web site on Thursday. Prior to final release, slated for the second half of this year, Microsoft may provide so-called "release candidate" versions, the company said.
An updated version of IE 7 will also ship with the next Vista preview, Microsoft said.
The effort to build security into the next browser is part of the broader focus on security at Microsoft, which began with Bill Gates' Trustworthy Computing Initiative, launched in early 2002. That effort has had its setbacks, though, and Richard Stiennon, chief analyst at research firm IT-Harvest, has his doubts about how effective the IE push will be.
"It is all well for Microsoft to continue to improve the security of IE, but any update does not address the hundreds of millions of people who do not update their applications," Stiennon said. "Microsoft forgets that it has created this nightmare. Fixing the problems for the most savvy, who use the latest and greatest tools, does not make the problem go away."
Maybe to the success of Microsoft, but to the rest of the world..."yawn".
Is it really a big deal anymore about MS-IE whatever? The Internet is the great democracy & with so many other browsers & ways to access the Internet WITHOUT using Microsoft OR IE whatever, why is this news?
This should just be on the MS Blog, not the main news page with a HIGH IMAPCT!!! announcement & rating C|NET.
Windoze Browser...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
CNET - the cracks in your article/advertisement theory are starting to show; I for one suggest you start to change more than just your site design if you are actually interested in keeping your readership.
http://www.techknowcafe.com/content/view/554/42/
BTW, what's with the random link at the bottom of your posts?
And someday, I might care.... someday....
Have you used it?
It will be more usefull if you make statements that are not prejudiced!!!
As for caring, you will when Steve drops Mac OS for Windows.
Somehow I doubt it.
I have come across a lot of websites which are designed specifically for IE and they don't work in other browsers... read this story for example http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4115806.stm There are much fewer websites which work the other way round. With introduction of firefox, web designers have to put more code in their websites to make it work with both browsers.
Besides, firefox has a big problem rendering Indic fonts. Opera also suffers from the same problem.
With introduction of IE7, Microsoft has really narrowed the gap between IE and other browsers featurewise. The only concern now is security issues, which might be the only reason for people to switch to other browsers. BTW, I remember installing version 1.5.0.1 and after couple of days was asked to update it to 1.5.0.2 because of sucurity flaws... within weeks Firefox people released 1.5.0.3 to fix flaws in the previous one (http://news.com.com/Firefox+gets+a+fresh+security+update/2100-1002_3-6067889.html?tag=nl) and within a month they found "a dozen security vulnerabilities, five of which are deemed "critical."" with version 1.5.0.4 This is no different than Microsoft's IE.
Think about it...
It is used the most because it is sitting in front of the countless clueless people using Dells.
The security in firefox is very, very different from IE. IE6 is extremely old, and new flaws are found almost daily. Firefox flaws are fixed in days and never exploited. IE flaws are found, and then it takes MS months to acknowlege it, and then months longer to release a half-assed fix(usually a workaround that can break with a future patch).
A rather big difference don't you think?
news - several times over?
Anyone who thinks that IE7 will come close to other browsers in terms of security, flexbility, standards complaince and performance are seriously deluding themselves.
IT doesn't matter how secure they make IE, it is fundamentally flawed because IE is part of the Windows kernel, the heart of that operating system.
That means that there remains a path between hackers and your computer via the Internet. They may say it is secure, but the path exists, that is the problem that won't go away.
IT doesn't matter how secure they make IE, it is fundamentally flawed because IE is part of the Windows kernel, the heart of that operating system.
That means that there remains a path between hackers and your computer via the Internet. They may say it is secure, but the path exists, that is the problem that won't go away.
- IE 7 B3
- by nah40 July 4, 2006 4:34 PM PDT
- I do not know anyone that has been able to install this.
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(20 Comments)