Microsoft to Kill Old Internet Explorer Versions
Microsoft has recently announced that as part of its efforts to move users to newer and more secure versions of its software, old Internet Explorer builds would no longer be supported, meaning that everyone needs to upgrade to the latest release of the browser on each operating system.
For example, those who are still running Windows Vista Service Pack 2 will need to switch to Internet Explorer 9, while Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users will have to move to Internet Explorer 11.
The end of support for old Internet Explorer versions will take place on January 12, 2016, so there’s no need to panic because you still have nearly a year and a half to change your browser. For enterprises, however, such a switch could have a much bigger impact, especially when thinking about company apps specifically designed to run on a particular version of Internet Explorer.
Here is the Internet Explorer you must run before January 2016, depending on the OS version that’s powering your device:
Windows Vista SP2 - Internet Explorer 9
Windows Server 2008 SP2 - Internet Explorer 9
Windows 7 SP1 - Internet Explorer 11
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 - Internet Explorer 11
Windows 8.1 - Internet Explorer 11
Windows Server 2012 - Internet Explorer 10
Windows Server 2012 R2 - Internet Explorer 11
Microsoft says that, beyond this date, no security updates and patches would be released for older versions of Internet Explorer, which would more or less make these computers vulnerable to attacks.
“After January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates. For example, customers using Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, or Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 SP1 should migrate to Internet Explorer 11 to continue receiving security updates and technical support,” Microsoft says.
“As some commercial customers have standardized on earlier versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft is introducing new features and resources to help customers upgrade and stay current on the latest browser. Customers should plan for upgrading to modern standards—to benefit from the additional performance, security, and productivity of modern Web apps—but in the short term, backward compatibility with legacy Web apps may be a cost-effective, if temporary, path.”
As expected, Microsoft used this occasion to praise the security features of new Internet Explorer versions, and there’s no doubt that those who decide to update their browsers clearly benefit from a wide array of improvements, not only in the security area.
