The generalized public perception seems to be that Internet Explorer 8 is not the best choice for security-concerned users, and that rival browsers do a better job at keeping users safe while online. Still, one security expert is running Internet Explorer 8, and notes that she sees no reason to jump to Firefox or to Chrome. In an interview for Microsoft’s TechNet Edge, Paula Januszkiewicz reveals that she opted for IE8 over rival browsers because of Protect Mode.
Watch the
video embedded at the bottom to hear what Januszkiewicz has to say (jump to the second half if you’re interested only in the details related to browser security). The second video embedded below is a the “Useful Hacker Techniques: Which Part of Hackers' Knowledge Will Help You in Efficient IT Administration?”
talk that Januszkiewicz gave at TechEd.
I personally am running IE8 with Protected Mode turned on and User Account Control enabled by default on top of Windows 7, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Introduced in Windows Vista and perfected in Windows 7, Protect Mode for IE8 makes the browser run with restricted privileges, even from administrator accounts. While Protected Mode in concert with UAC are on, attacks cannot write, alter or destroy data the machine or compromise the PC with malicious code, even if IE8 itself is bypassed.
