Why install Internet Explorer

Microsoft has redesigned Internet Explorer from the ground up, with better security, new capabilities, and a whole new interface. Many changes resulted from the feedback of millions of users who tested pre-release versions of the new browser.

The most compelling reason to upgrade is the improved security. The Internet of today is not the Internet of five years ago. There are dangers that simply didn't exist back in 2001, when Internet Explorer 6 was released to the world. Internet Explorer 7 makes surfing the web fundamentally safer by offering greater protection against viruses, spyware, and other online risks.

Fight fraud with the Phishing Filter

Phishing is the act of luring visitors to a fraudulent webpage, usually through an e‑mail message that appears to come from a legitimate company, such as PayPal or eBay. The message and webpage attempt to fool you into providing sensitive personal or financial information, such as credit card numbers and passwords. It's been a growth industry for several years now. If you receive spam, you've probably already received phishing e‑mail.

Internet Explorer 7 has a new tool to fight phishing: the Phishing Filter. If you visit a known phishing site, Internet Explorer displays a warning webpage and turns the Address bar red. If you visit a suspected phishing site, the Address bar turns yellow. For more information, read my column Don't take the bait! Internet Explorer 7 tools help you recognize phishing scams.

Get extended validation of websites

Extended Validation SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates, or EV certificates, are another step forward in protecting you from phishers. These certificates, already being used by some financial sites, provide strong assurance that you really are visiting the website you think you are. When you visit a website with an EV certificate, Internet Explorer turns the Address bar green. The right side of the Address bar alternates between displaying the name of the legal entity controlling the website and the name of the certifying authority. For more information, see the Extended Validation SSL Certificates page on the Internet Explorer website.

Opt in to add-ons

When you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7, nearly all previously installed add-ons, or ActiveX controls, are disabled to prevent potentially vulnerable controls from exposing your computer to attack. You must approve the add-on before it can run. This means that websites that use “drive-by downloads” in an attempt to infect a system will find it much harder to succeed.

If a website does not work after you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7, and the problem is caused by a disabled add-on, a picture of a cogwheel will appear in the status bar, and a notification will advise you that the site requires a disabled add-on.

To re-enable the add-on, click the notification. In the Manage Add-ons dialog box, click the add-on you want to enable, and then click Enable.

Protect yourself from hacked websites

It used to be that we had to go looking for trouble before websites infected our systems with malicious software (malware). Many people believed that if they only visited "safe" sites, they would be protected from the bad guys.

Unfortunately, over the past few years there has been a steady increase in the number of legitimate websites hacked by bad guys. The hackers add hostile code to the website that attempts to infect visitors' computer. Vulnerable computers may end up with adware, viruses, or keyloggers that steal a victim's user names and passwords. Or, the computer may be turned into a "zombie" machine that silently sends e‑mail spam without the computer owner even knowing it.

Internet Explorer 7 isn't affected by the majority of vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer 6 and earlier. So even if you happen to visit a site that has been hacked, the chances of your computer being silently infected are greatly reduced.