Internet Explorer 7 - more features and security

More than 10,000 beta testers today received access to Windows Vista beta 1 and this next-generation Windows operating system also includes Internet Explorer 7 which will be released later this year for Windows XP SP2. A stand-alone IE7 beta is also available for developers.

IE7 includes many security enhancements to protect users against mailicious Websites and malware. It also makes a fist against phishing and spoofing attacks.

Microsoft says IE7 will Highlights the address bar when users visit a secure sockets layer-protected site and lets users easily check the validity of a site’s security certificate. Additionally, IE7 will enable users to clear all cache data with a single click.

Other features of IE7 include tabbed browsing, a toolbar search box that includes AOL, Ask Jeeves, Google, MSN and Yahoo and a more than welcome new feature to optimize web pages for printing.

Also, with new integrated support for emerging technologies such as Web feeds (RSS), users of Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista will get personalized news, sports, shopping information and blogs delivered directly to their PCs. Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista beta 2 will continue to build on the security enhancements with support for anti-phishing, which will help warn and protect users against fraudulent Web sites and personal data theft in the browser.

It will also add a Protected Mode to give Internet Explorer sufficient rights to browse the Web, but not enough rights to modify user settings or data.

Many of these new browser features will also be available to users of Windows XP through Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP Service Pack 2. Internet Explorer 7 beta 1 for Windows XP is now available to IT administrators, developers and enthusiasts for testing and evaluation through the Technical Beta Program and MSDN.