The Internet is a wonderful thing. It does a lot of good in our everyday lives: It helps us connect with friends, it helps us work, and it gives us all the information we could ever need, right at our fingertips.
But it can also be a troublesome thing if it isn’t handled with care.
Think about it this way:
You have an open house scheduled for later today. You’re looking forward to it, because you’re sure you’ll find a buyer. You drive halfway across town, walk up to the door, pull out the key…and it won’t open the door.
The key is too old; it’s been worn down, and it doesn’t line up in the lock anymore.
And if it can’t open the door, it sure can’t lock it, either.
Your Internet browser is just like that key.
If it’s worn down in a few places, your browser won’t be able to open the websites you need it to—and it might not be able to lock your virtual door against the less-than-safe side of the Internet, either.
Most web browsers come equipped with technology designed to enhance your cybersecurity when you’re online. But for that technology to work as it’s supposed to, the companies that made it have to update it frequently.
When you rely on an older web browser, you run two distinct risks:
- That the browser doesn’t have the right plugins or capabilities to access the site you want
- That the company no longer supports that browser—so it isn’t getting necessary updates to keep you safe
And neither of those is a risk worth taking.
Did you know?
Microsoft announced in January 2016 that it was stopping support for all versions of Internet Explorer except for Internet Explorer 11. That means that any earlier versions—version 10 or older—haven’t been updated in three years.
A lot has changed in three years—and if your browser hasn’t, you might not be able to access websites properly, and you might be putting your cybersecurity at risk.
Stay safe out there.
Check out this page to make sure you have the latest, safest version of your Internet Explorer, or check with your IT team to see what browser they recommend.
