14 DAY TRIAL // Internet Explorer is no longer the default Windows browser, and with Windows 10, Microsoft not only made this huge change to its operating system but it also took the first step towards introducing a universal browser working on PCs and smartphones alike.
Microsoft Edge is the name of the new kid on the block, but Internet Explorer continues to be available in Windows 10 as a backup just in case your company apps or a specific service isn’t working the way it should in the new operating system.
But this doesn’t change anything in terms of security, and far as Internet Explorer is concerned, the old browser continues to be one of the most attacked apps currently available.
23 critical security holes
This month alone, Microsoft has patched a total of 25 security flaws in the browser, 23 of which have already been flagged as critical. In other words, you really, really need to install MS15-112 in case you’re still using Internet Explorer on your computer.
“The attack vector is through a malicious webpage, a very common one. Cybercriminals set these up by exploiting vulnerabilities in otherwise innocent webpages, gaining control over the content of the pages and then including invisible links to their attack pages that are driven by commercial exploit kits,” Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, explains in a statement.
“The kits focus heavily on recent vulnerabilities in browsers and plug-ins (Flash is an 80% favorite according to recent research by Recorded Future) and often get new exploits just days after a vulnerability was published.”
Fortunately, if you haven’t patched just yet, there are other ways to remain protected, but most of them involve replacing Internet Explorer with a different browser that’s not vulnerable to attacks. If you absolutely have to use Internet Explorer and looking for an alternative is not an option, you can always continue running it and avoid clicking on any suspicious links or documents arriving in your inbox.