Microsoft plans to release a new beta test version of Internet Explorer this summer, but it will only run on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed.
Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates made the announcement during his keynote speech at the RSA Security conference in San Francisco last month. He said, "browsing definitely is a point of vulnerability," and said, "What we have decided to do is a new version of Internet Explorer. IE7 adds a new level of security."
This changes Microsoft's stance that new versions of the browser would only appear with new operating systems. The fact that the reversal came as rival browser Firefox reached 25 million downloads was no doubt entirely coincidental.
Unfortunately, Gates did not say precisely how IE7 would differ from IE6, except in having protection against phishing. This is an area where risks can already be reduced by using an accessory toolbar to show the real site behind an obfuscated web address.
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