Four days short of two months since Internet Explorer 7 has been available on the market, and the Microsoft browser has an immaculate security sheet. In this regard, neither the December nor the November Security Bulletins addressed Internet Explorer 7.

But Microsoft did issue its first update for IE7, although it is not a security update. The update impacts five versions of the browser, but not the variant that ships with Windows Vista. In fact, the update addresses Internet Explorer 7 running on Windows XP with Service Pack 2, x86-based versions, Windows XP Professional, x64-based versions, Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, x86-based versions, Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, x64-based versions and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, Itanium-based versions.

The Internet Explorer 7 update is designed to resolve system performance problems associated with the browser's Phishing Filter. "This update resolves a performance issue with the Phishing Filter. When visiting certain web pages, the Phishing Filter may increase CPU usage while evaluating the page contents and the system may become slow to respond. This problem occurs on pages that contain multiple frames or when multiple frame navigations occur quickly. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer," informed Microsoft.

The update for Windows XP SP2 x86 is the only one that requires users to validate the authenticity of their operating system via the WGA tool.

Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP (KB928089)
Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP x64 Edition (KB928089)
Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (KB928089)
Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB928089)
Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems (KB928089)