Internet Explorer 8 Security

One of the biggest challenges facing business and security professionals today is defining default security settings. If the default settings are too restrictive, users may experience limitations and compatibility issues and simply ignore warnings or alerts. But if the settings are not restrictive enough, users are susceptible to attack from a wide range of exploits. Finding the right balance of functionality and security is critical for both safety and ease of use, but it is often difficult to find the perfect balance given the variation in the user base.

Vendors typically define default security settings to allow the greatest usability based on calculated risk. Basing decisions on attack scenarios, weighting factors required to exploit and other user scenarios, a vendor selects values for default security settings for them to function well in wide range of environments. For most home users, these default choices are usually sufficient to meet their browsing needs and help keep them protected from most attacks.

However, some consumer and business users may have more specific requirements based on their business needs as well as regulatory and legal requirements, For example, users in large enterprise environments may be required to comply with government regulations to protect financial data and customer information stored on servers on their network.

The security and privacy settings for Internet Explorer 8 have been designed for a wide range of requirements, further solidifying Microsoft’s security leadership. At the same time we respect user’s privacy and the needs to control the use of their data, and provide several recommended options which balance these needs. Using the default security settings, Internet Explorer 8 will be sufficient for most users, offering increased security over previous versions and new privacy features to help users manage and control the release of their personal information. For more information about new features and settings, visit www.microsoft.com/ie8 and for Security specific information visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/pypc.aspx