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Internet Explorer Has Lost All Support (What You Need to Know)

Nov 14, 2022

After being the main entry to the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. As of June 15, 2022, Microsoft  dropped the web browser  from support.

IE ushered in the age of connection to the world in 1995 and held a majority of the browser market share for many years. But the release of newer technologies like Google Chrome made it less relevant.

In 2014, Internet Explorer still held  about 59%  of the global market share, with Chrome at 21%. But just two years later, IE lost its top spot to Chrome and trailed behind another newcomer, Safari.

In 2015, the writing was already on the wall when Microsoft released a new browser, Edge. With Edge destined to take IE’s place as the official browser installed on Windows systems.

It’s inevitable, the longer technology is driving work and home life, that we’re going to lose some of our favorites. Adobe Flash Player is another technology that used to be widely used and is now gone.

So, now that IE has reached its end of life (EOL), what happens next?

Microsoft Will Redirect Users to IE Mode in Edge

According to Microsoft, now that IE is officially out of support it will redirect users. Over the next few months, a new experience will happen. Those opening this outdated browser will instead land in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

To ease the transition away from Internet Explorer, Microsoft added  IE Mode  to Edge. This mode makes it possible for organizations to still use legacy sites that may have worked best in IE. It uses the Trident MSHTML engine from IE11 to do this.

When in IE mode, you’ll still see the Internet Explorer icon on your device. But if you open it, you’ll actually be in Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft Will Be Removing Internet Explorer Icons in the Future

Microsoft isn’t yet getting rid of the IE icons that appear in places like the taskbar and Start menu on Windows. But it will in a future update. Users can expect to see those removed at some point.

Edge Will Import Browser Data from IE

What about your favorites, saved passwords, and other settings that you have in IE? Microsoft Edge will import these from Internet Explorer for you, so they’re not lost. This will include things like your browsing history and other data stored in the browser. You’ll then be able to access these in the Microsoft Edge’s settings area.

With IE Retired, What Do You Need to Do Now?

 

Uninstall the Browser

It’s risky to keep older technology that is no longer supported on your system. Cybercriminals love to exploit older tools that are not receiving any security updates. This leaves an open invitation to breach your network. Manufacturers are never going to address these because they retired the software.

Outdated technology costs enterprises approximately  47% more  when they suffer a data breach. As compared to those with updated tools.

You should transition your stored information to Microsoft Edge (or another trusted browser). Then uninstall IE from your device or devices.

Ensure Employees Know How to Use IE Mode in Edge

A scenario that businesses want to avoid is what happened to many organizations in Japan. Several government and corporate users weren’t prepared for the retirement of IE.

It was reported  that IT and engineering departments received many calls for help. This was due to unpreparedness for the browser’s demise. Although it came with warnings, it was a shock to many that used legacy sites that need IE to work. This included the customers of government agencies, financial institutions, and other organizations.

This left them scrambling to try to figure out what to do at the last minute. They still needed access to employee attendance management, and other online tools.

Of course, with IE mode in Edge, this transition didn’t need to be so chaotic. But without communication or training, more than 20% of affected users hadn’t figured out what to do.

Make sure you communicate with your team what to do. Companies can  automate IE mode  for their users so that it launches automatically.

Train Employees on Microsoft Edge Features

Microsoft Edge has a lot of benefits over IE and other browsers. It’s faster and more responsive than Internet Explorer. It also has comprehensive security controls (including password breach monitoring). And has unique features such as “collections.”

But with all new tools, if you want employees to use them proficiently, they need to have a chance to learn them. Take the time to transition right, and have your employees trained on Edge.

Need Help Upgrading Your Digital Tools?

You don’t have to panic when a technology you use retires. We can help you upgrade well ahead of any deadlines. Reach out today to schedule a technology consultation.

 

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Security Lapse by Microsoft Employees Exposes Internal Passwords

26 Apr, 2024
In continuation of Microsoft’s series of data security incidents, employees accidentally exposed internal data to the public. The leak exposed an unprotected Azure storage server containing code, scripts, and configuration files. Microsoft has announced that it has fixed a security breach that exposed internal company credentials and files to the open internet. The breach was first discovered by security researchers from cybersecurity firm SOC Radar. According to their report, an internal error resulted in an Azure storage server without password protection being given public access. The exposed data was primarily related to Microsoft’s Bing search engine, including configuration files, code, and scripts that employees used to access a range of internal systems and databases. Consequently, bad actors could identify and access locations for Microsoft's internal data. So far, it has not been made clear how long the data has been exposed. Anuj Mudaliar Assistant Editor - Tech, SWZD opens a new window opens a new window Anuj Mudaliar is a content development professional with a keen interest in emerging technologies, particularly advances in AI. As a tech editor for Spiceworks, Anuj covers many topics, including cloud, cybersecurity, emerging tech innovation, AI, and hardware. When not at work, he spends his time outdoors - trekking, camping, and stargazing. He is also interested in cooking and experiencing cuisine from around the world.

AT&T experienced data breach that impacted 51 million customers (No one is immune)

26 Apr, 2024
AT&T is notifying 51 million former and current customers, warning them of a data breach that exposed their personal information on a hacking forum. However, the company has still not disclosed how the data was obtained. These notifications are related to the recent leak of a massive amount of AT&T customer data on the Breach hacking forums that was offered for sale for $1 million in 2021. When threat actor ShinyHunters first listed the AT&T data for sale in 2021, the company told BleepingComputer that the collection did not belong to them and that their systems had not been breached. Last month, when another threat actor known as 'MajorNelson' leaked the entire dataset on the hacking forum, AT&T once again told BleepingComputer that the data did not originate from them and their systems were not breached. After BleepingComputer confirmed that the data belonged to AT&T and DirectTV accounts, and TechCrunch reported AT&T passcodes were in the data dump, AT&T finally confirmed that the data belonged to them. While the leak contained information for more than 70 million people, AT&T is now saying that it impacted a total of 51,226,382 customers. "The [exposed] information varied by individual and account, but may have included full name, email address, mailing address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, AT&T account number and AT&T passcode," reads the notification. "To the best of our knowledge, personal financial information and call history were not included. Based on our investigation to date, the data appears to be from June 2019 or earlier." BleepingComputer contacted AT&T as to why there is such a large difference in impacted customers and was told that some of the people had multiple accounts in the dataset. "We are sending a communication to each person whose sensitive personal information was included. Some people had more than one account in the dataset, and others did not have sensitive personal information," AT&T told BleepingComputer. The company has still not disclosed how the data was stolen and why it took them almost five years to confirm that it belonged to them and to alert customers. Furthermore, the company told the Maine Attorney General's Office that they first learned of the breach on March 26, 2024, yet BleepingComputer first contacted AT&T about it on March 17th and the information was for sale first in 2021. While it is likely too late, as the data has been privately circulating for years, AT&T is offering one year of identity theft protection and credit monitoring services through Experian, with instructions enclosed in the notices. The enrollment deadline was set to August 30, 2024, but exposed people should move much faster to protect themselves. Recipients are urged to stay vigilant, monitor their accounts and credit reports for suspicious activity, and treat unsolicited communications with elevated caution. For the admitted security lapse and the massive delay in verifying the data breach claims and informing affected customers accordingly, AT&T is facing multiple class-action lawsuits in the U.S. Considering that the data was stolen in 2021, cybercriminals have had ample opportunity to exploit the dataset and launch targeted attacks against exposed AT&T customers. However, the dataset has now been leaked to the broader cybercrime community, exponentially increasing the risk for former and current AT&T customers. Update 4/10/24: Added statement from AT&T about discrepancy in numbers. BILL TOULAS Bill Toulas is a tech writer and infosec news reporter with over a decade of experience working on various online publications, covering open-source, Linux, malware, data breach incidents, and hacks.

Home Depot Data Compromised Through Third-Party SaaS Misconfiguration

26 Apr, 2024
Home improvement retailer Home Depot confirmed with multiple publishers that it suffered a data break due to a third-party SaaS vendor inadvertently exposing a subset of employee data. IntelBroker, the threat actor behind the attack claims it has the information of 10,000 Home Depot employees. A Home Depot software vendor suffered a data breach leading to the compromise of an undisclosed number of employees. IntelBroker, the threat actor behind the attack claims it has the information of 10,000 Home Depot employees. Home improvement retailer Home Depot confirmed with multiple publishers that it suffered a data break due to a third-party software vendor inadvertently exposing a subset of employee data. Reportedly, the breach was caused by a misconfigured software-as-a-service (SaaS) application.
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