Microsoft Internet Explorer: A Question of Security and Standards

Microsoft Internet Explorer:
A Question of Security and Standards

More people use the Microsoft Internet browser (IE) than any other browser. So, that makes it the best browser, right? Well, I guess the great debate is on. Microsoft has a large number of software products that are very good. I use them everyday. However, there are some things you need to know about the Microsoft browser.

First, security continues to be a major issue with Microsoft Explorer. With spyware and hacker problems on the rise, IE has experienced many problems. For a while, it seemed like there was a new “patch” almost every week to fix a problem with IE. Have you ever had you computer slow down so much you wondered if it was still working? How many times have you called your “tech” buddy to take a look at your computer because it wasn’t working the same any more? These are common everyday occurrences for users that access the Internet regularly.

The only cure for some of these online problems is to discontinue using the Internet Explorer. IE makes it easy to install spyware and viruses onto you system primarily using the ActiveX and Active Scripting features. You should not have to be a rocket scientist to use a browser safely and confidently.

Second, many experts and books indicate that the Microsoft browser (IE) does a poor job of supporting Internet standards. The reason the Internet works is because there is a set of standards or agreements. This makes it easier to standardize connections, languages, rules, etc. In the past, Microsoft has leaned toward “doing their own thing”. They seem intent on setting their own standards. In the case of something as large as the “Internet”, that can and will continue to cause problems.

The good news is there are other browsers that have much better security and closely follow the standards of the Internet. I have personally switched to Mozilla Firefox in the past few weeks. It has a wide range of user friendly features. It is much more secure and does not easily allow spyware to be installed onto your computer. My favorite feature is “tabbed browsing”. You can access multiple pages within the same browse window. It’s very easy to switch from tab to tab within the same window.

If you’re interested in an alternate to the Internet Explorer, check out FireFox. It’s free. It follows standards and it’s much more secure. However, if you need to update windows, you will have to use the Microsoft Internet browser. So, don’t delete your Internet Explorer just yet.

About The Author:

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ez-software-review.com. Learn how to purchase cheap, reliable and quality software for your home, school and business.

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