Microsoft’s latest iteration of Internet Explorer comes with enhanced security features compared to its predecessor, helping users stay secure while browsing. In both Windows Vista and Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8 is designed to run by default with low privileges, in the context in which User Account Control is enabled. In addition, IE8 features the SmartScreen, a feature designed to protect end users from phishing attacks. According to the Redmond company. IE8’s SmartScreen is currently blocking in excess of 2 million malicious websites per day.

Phishing attacks involve social engineering techniques through which users are tricked into revealing sensitive information, including usernames and account passwords, but even banking data and credit card information. IE8’s SmartScreen will warn users if the websites they are visiting are fake sites only masquerading legitimate addresses.

“IE8’s SmartScreen now blocks malware sites over two million times a day. IE8 offers a lot of protection from real-world attacks: phishing protection, a cross-site scripting filter, and Protected Mode (I may run as an administrator, but my browser doesn’t). With attacks on the rise, using (or upgrading to) a browser with this much protection is more important [IMG=2]than ever. IE8 also offers great reliability because of process-isolation, and offers users the ability to manage add-ons that affect performance and stability. InPrivate Browsing and InPrivate Filtering are also quite handy,” revealed Dean Hachamovitch, IE general manager.

At PDC 2009, Microsoft delivered the first taste of Internet Explorer 9, the successor of IE8. According to the software giant, IE9 will deliver increased standard support, hardware acceleration and boosted JavaScript performance. This early in the development of IE9 Microsoft said nothing about the evolution of security features for the next iteration of IE.