On Monday, September 23, Microsoft issued a warning that the Internet Explorer browser has a serious vulnerability which could allow an attacker to
“install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights”.
Remote access can be granted to the system simply by going to a website that contains the necessary malicious code. Phishing emails may contain links that persuade the reader to visit the website using IE.
Internet Explorer reached end-of-support on January 12, 2016. Microsoft has since been attempting to steer users away from the browser, going so far as to publish a blog post entitled ‘The perils of using Internet Explorer as your default browser‘ earlier this year.
However, statistics for August 2019 show that this obsolete browser still has as much as an 8% market share in Japan.
The Edge browser which replaces IE has been available as a part of Windows 10 since July 2015. Alternative browsers such as Chrome and Firefox will also offer improved security and receive regular updates.
Due to the serious nature of this latest IE vulnerability, Microsoft has issued a series of emergency patches through Windows Update. Please contact us if you need assistance in deploying these across all the PCs in your organization.
Does your business in Japan still have applications or workflows in place that require the use of Internet Explorer? We can advise on migration to a more secure and future-proof solution, through both project-based development and ongoing support for all your hardware and software. Open a support ticket or request a quote now.