Skip to main content

Microsoft security chief outlines perils of continuing to use Internet Explorer

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’ve found yourself using Internet Explorer in the past decade, the chances are that you’ve had others suggest that you move to a more efficient browser such as Chrome or Firefox. Security expert Chris Jackson is also urging individuals to stop using Internet Explorer, but what makes his stance interesting is that he currently holds the position as Microsoft’s Worldwide Lead for Cybersecurity — that’s right, not even the folks at Microsoft want to see you opening Internet Explorer anymore.

Microsoft’s Security Lead isn’t suggesting that you drop Microsoft products and head for the hills. Instead, he specifically notes that Microsoft’s web browser of the past, Internet Explorer, has had its day. Jackson doesn’t even recommend a new solution for users looking to move off of Internet Explorer; while we are sure the team at Microsoft would like you to pick up Edge, he notes that he’s “not here to enforce any browser on anyone” and that “you should choose the one that best meets your needs.”

Recommended Videos

Jackson’s concern for individuals using the old browser is centered around a concept he calls “technical debt.” Internally, Microsoft is no longer referring to Internet Explorer as a web browser, but instead a compatibility solution for enterprise and business customers. Internet Explorer is a browser of the past, one that is no longer updated to support new web standards; instead, it remains as an option for enterprises that need to access sites that had been designed with it in mind.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

So, what are enterprise users to do with Chris Jackson’s statements? In an ideal world, organizations should ensure that any internal websites are optimized for use with more modern web browser solutions; however, due to costs, this isn’t always feasible. Thus, businesses should use an alternative web browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, for their primary web needs — only launching Internet Explorer if an internal website requires it to function correctly.

If you’re still using Internet Explorer as your default browser and don’t know where to turn, be sure to check out our best web browsers for 2019 with options such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and Vivaldi.

Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
Microsoft is finally making Copilot+ laptops useful for AI
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 front view in tablet mode.

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative has been a smash hit, with many of them landing among the best laptops, but not for the AI hardware inside. Now, finally, Microsoft is putting the neural processing unit (NPU) inside Copilot+ PCs to good use. Starting today and going throughout the next two months, Microsoft will begin rolling out the 24H2 update for all Windows 11 PCs, and in the process, unlock several features for Copilot+ PCs, including the highly controversial Recall.

Recall is definitely the star of the show here, which will start showing up on Copilot+ laptops with a Snapdragon X chipset throughout October. Last week, Microsoft laid the groundwork for the release of Recall, detailing the security architecture of the feature and addressing some major criticisms of it. Now, for example, Recall is turned off instead of on by default. Microsoft is also allowing users to filter websites and giving users more control over their snapshots, including deleting them all.

Read more
Microsoft Copilot now has a voice and can ‘see what you see’ on the internet
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announces updates to the company's Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

You might want to start treating your web browser like you're always at work, at least if you want to use Microsoft's new Copilot Vision feature. The feature, which is natively built into Microsoft Edge, is able to "see what you see, and hear what you hear" as you navigate your browser, according to Microsoft's Executive Vice President Yusuf Mehdi.

All of this AI snooping isn't for nothing. Copilot Vision looks at what you're doing online to answer questions, provide recommendations, and summarize content. It can work with the new Copilot Voice feature, for example. Microsoft demoed the capabilities on Rotten Tomatoes, showing a user chatting with Copilot while browsing the website and looking for movie recommendations. Ultimately, Copilot settled on an Australian comedy for the Australian speaker, saying it made the choice because, "well, you're Australian." I guess that's taking personal context into account.

Read more
Microsoft outlines Recall security: ‘The user is always in control’
Recall promotional image.

Microsoft just released an update regarding the security and privacy protection in Recall. The blog post outlines the measures Microsoft is taking to prevent a data privacy disaster, including security architecture and technical controls. A lot of the features highlight that Recall is optional, and that's despite the fact that Microsoft recently confirmed that it cannot be uninstalled.

Microsoft's post is lengthy and covers just about every aspect of the security challenges that its new AI assistant has to face. One of the key design principles is that "the user is always in control." Users will be given the choice of whether they want to opt in and use Recall when setting up their new Copilot+ PC.

Read more