Technology and software giant Microsoft has issued a warning to all Windows users to upgrade their Internet Explorer Browsers to the latest version because of a security vulnerability.
This week marked the end of support for almost-all versions of Microsoft’s pre-installed web browser, Internet Explorer. Microsoft recommends users to upgrade to Internet Explorer 11.
All previous versions will leave users vulnerable to viruses and malware attacks. This is true even if they use other web browsers other than Internet Explorer on Windows operated machines.
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The Daily Express reports:
Earlier this week, the US technology firm warned Internet Explorer users to update their browsers to version 11 to ensure they are protected.
But now Microsoft has issued a new warning to all Windows users – even those who aren’t actively using Internet Explorer.
PC owners who use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera browsers are being urged to check which version of Internet Explorer is installed on their computers.
If an earlier version of Internet Explorer – dubbed IE – is sat idle on your PC, you could still be vulnerable.
This is because of how Microsoft has tightly integrated its Internet Explorer software into the Windows operating system (a move that triggered a long antitrust case).
Microsoft senior software developer consultant Pat Altimore issued the warning.
Posting on his blog, he wrote: “There are many components that constitute the browser.
“Most of the components are part of the operating system including the JavaScript / HTML rendering engine, the Web Browser control, and the Windows Internet Protocol Handler.
“The browser application uses these OS components for script execution, rendering, HTTP requests, etc.
“When you upgrade the browser, you potentially upgrade all of these components.”
Applications other than Microsoft’s own Internet Explorer are able call on IE components to display HTML or execute scripts.
An unprotected version of Internet Explorer leaves these applications vulnerable.
“To ensure applications using components are fully patched, update to the latest version of IE and apply future cumulative IE updates,” Mr Altimore posted.
If you are concerned about whether or not your version of Internet Explorer is vulnerable, simply navigate to the small cog icon in the top-right corner.
Scroll down the menu and tap on About Internet Explorer. If you are not using Internet Explorer 11, go to the official Microsoft website and hit download.
However some three-quarters of Internet Explorer users will not have upgraded their browser in time for the end-of-support deadline, research has shown.
A new survey from Camwood questioned more than 1,000 online users on whether or not they intend to make the switch to IE 11 this week.
Microsoft has replaced its classic Internet Explorer browser with a new minimalist app called Microsoft Edge.
But despite this redesigned browser being the default in Windows 10, users have turned their back on the new app.
According to data from San Francisco-based firm Quantcast, Google Chrome accounts for a staggering 70 per cent of all browser activity on Windows 10 machines.
