We’re a bit ‘behind the times’ in some areas in regional Australia…l see a lot of people still using Internet Explorer as their default web browser…
...Just so you know…
In September 2019 Microsoft warned of a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer which allows malicious attackers to hijack the computers of those running the outdated program. Microsoft has confirmed that the vulnerability has been exploited.
“The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.”
Previously, in April 2019 it was discovered that you don't even have to be using Internet Explorer to be exploited, it simply needs to exist on your computer! Even Microsoft's own security chief has warned that people using Internet Explorer are placing themselves in “peril”.
IE has also had issues for years prior to 2019…in 2010 the German Government publicly announced not to use it until the bugs were fixed!...2010!!!!
While there happens to be a security update for this issue, IE was actually killed off by Microsoft nearly 5 years ago and is only kept alive as a ‘business compatibility solution’. It doesn't support the new web standards so it just doesn't operate properly.
All new websites are built for, and tested on new the browsers: Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox (in that order of popularity).
Export your bookmarks and move to a safer browser!
References:
https://mashable.com/article/internet-explorer-vulnerability-just-stop-using-it/
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/8/18216767/microsoft-internet-explorer-warning-compatibility-solution
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-1367
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/02/08/stop-using-internet-explorer-warns-microsofts-security-chief/
https://mashable.com/article/internet-explorer-hacker-windows-pc-exploit/
https://www.sitepoint.com/german-government-stop-using-ie/
