Originally posted on July 2, 2008 @ 11:47 pm
Weeks after Mozilla set a new record for most downloaded software in a day with Firefox 3, Microsoft has also unveiled more details about Internet Explorer 8, beta 2.
The new beta will likely carry two new security features — the smartscreen filter and the Cross Site Scripting (XSS) filter.
The IE beta will be due only in August but this has not stopped Microsoft from creating some media buzz on its new app.
The filters will protect users from a variety of threats by analyzing the complete URL string, giving a more “granular” detection, that will make IE8 more responsive an protect against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
The XSS filter, on the other hand, will address an often exploited loophole — the security hole that is left by popular sites that allow attackers to steal cookies.
This is definitely a step in the right direction for Microsoft especially since IE is one of its most notoriously flawed applications. It is practically a gateway for attackers.