Getting excited waiting for Internet Explorer 7? Microsoft certainly thinks you should be about the new security strategies for the browser. Promising a completely re-worked architecture for defending against exploits, the new IE 7 will ship with reduced privilege mode turned on by default in an effort to avoid the staggering number of browser-based hacking attacks.
During a strategic briefing on security at the TechEd conference, corporate VP of Microsoft Corp.'s Security Business & Technology Unit Gordon Mangione said IE 7.0 will be chock full of security and privacy enhancements, all aimed at addressing the biggest threats facing Web surfers today.
IE 7 will feature changes in the way files are executed and new anti-spoofing and anti-phishing technologies in addition.
Browsing is definitely a point of vulnerability," said Gates, chairman and chief software architect at Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash.
It's unclear exactly what kind of phishing protection Microsoft plans to offer, but it will likely include technology to detect spoofed Web sites, a key to phishing attacks.
However, if you are a user of Windows 98, 2000, NT 4 or anything else still kicking around, don't expect to get any of this new technology. IE 7 will only be compatible with Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) systems, so its likely that browser security will soon be a forgotten thing for any other Microsoft OS platforms released prior to this.