Posts Tagged internet explorer 8

Cyber threats: Protecting yourself against malware

Jul 16

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | 2 Comments

This week the team at Internet Explorer HQ have been discussing the computer virus malware. We’ve given a description of the virus and highlighted some of the various examples of it. In our final post of the week we’d like to offer some top tips on avoiding malware.

1. Install Internet Explorer 8! An obvious one but since its launch in March 2009 IE8 has stopped over 560 million attempts to download malware

2. Make sure Internet Explorer’s SmartScreen Filter is turned-on

3. Keep your computer’s software up-to-date. Turn on automatic updating with Microsoft Update. Your operating system and your software programs must be updated regularly.

4. Always use antivirus and antispyware software from trusted sources and keep the software up-to-date. If you use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, you can download Microsoft Security Essentials, which offers award-winning, free, anti-virus protection for your home PC .

5. If you use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008, make sure User Account Control (UAC) is active so that it always notifies you of changes to your computer. Carefully review each message that you receive from UAC before you allow changes to your computer.

6. Don’t click links on suspicious websites or in email messages. Type addresses directly into your browser or use bookmarks. Find out more about how to identify suspicious links here

7. Don’t trust sender information in IMs, email messages, or messages on social networking websites. More tips on safety and social networking here

8. Be careful what you download from the Internet. Files that end in extensions .EXE or .SCR often hide malware. However, even files with familiar extensions such as .PDF can be dangerous.

9. Before you install something, consider the risks and benefits of installing it, and be aware of the fine print. For example, make sure the license agreement does not conceal a warning that you are about to install software with unwanted behaviour.

10. Only download programs and updates from reputable sources. If you use Windows or Microsoft Office, always go to Microsoft Update. For other software, always use the legitimate websites of the company or person who produces the software.

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/protect/ to get more tips on how to stay safe online

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Cyber threats: The effects of malware

Jul 14

Posted by Blue E Blogger in In the news | No Comments

This week we’re looking at some examples of Malware attacks. The virus is one of the most widespread computer viruses and worryingly June saw a surge in attacks. A recent article in IT Pro also highlighted two new pieces of malware targeting UK bank customers.

This new malware virus works by creating a fake bank login page and then takes your details once you’ve entered them and then uses those credentials to perform an “authorised” monetary transfer.

Internet Explorer 8 continues to be the best defence against malware. As we said in our previous post, since its creation IE8 has stopped in excess of 560 million attempted downloads. If you haven’t already, click here to download the latest version of Internet Explorer. If you’re worried about the malware virus make sure you log on this Friday when we will be sharing our advice on how best to protect your PC against it.

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Cyber threats

Jul 13

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

Over the coming weeks we’re going to be dissecting some of the most common cyber threats out there and offering advice on how best to protect your PC against them. This week we’re going to talk about the most common threat to your PC: Malware. Since its launch in March 2009 Internet Explorer 8 has stopped over 560 million attempts to download malware.

So exactly what is Malware I hear you ask? Short for malicious software, it is a software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s knowledge or permission. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile or annoying software or program code.

Software is considered to be malware based on the perceived intent of the creator rather than any particular features. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, most rootkits, and other malicious and unwanted software.

But how does Internet Explorer 8 block malware? By using its SmartScreen technology IE8 focuses on identifying and blocking sites on the web that are distributing malicious software.  SmartScreen can block new threats from existing malicious sites, even if those threats are not yet blocked by traditional anti-virus or anti-malware signatures

In our posts this week we will be highlighting the effects of malware and how you can protect your PC against it.

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Life Academy winners discuss the competition

Jul 5

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

Last week we announced the 3 lucky winners of Internet Explorer 8 Life Academy who each walked away with a grant for £10,000 but what did they have to say about the competition?

In our video you can hear from the 3 winners Luke Duggleby, Rowenna Davis and Nick Palfrey and also judges Professor Robert Wilson and Countdown mathematician Rachel Riley.

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And the winners are…

Jun 30

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Announcements | 1 Comment

After an exciting two months, we are today ready to announce the winners of Internet Explorer 8 Life Academy.

On Friday our 12 finalists battled it out live in front of a high profile judging panel comprising of Professor Robert Winston, entrepreneur and lastminute.com co-founder Brent Hoberman, Countdown mathematician Rachel Riley, Channel 4 technology journalist Benjamin Cohen and Microsoft Director Leila Martine to win one of three £10,000 grants.

The winning ideas are:

Adventurer Explorer Grant

Luke, 22, a medical graduate at Bristol University won the Adventurer Explorer Grant for his charitable idea to build a Vocational Centre in Bweyale, Uganda.  The young entrepreneur will use the funds to help bring the internet and services to Bweyale which will significantly improve their personal and educational needs in the community.  You can see Luke’s live pitch here

http://www.lifeacademy.uk.com/entries/view/a0c3161f51ef4b9a900681a7b85270ea

Online Venture Explorer Grant

Rowenna Davis, 25, a graduate and freelance journalist from London won the Online Venture Grant for her concept Young People: Local Government.  Rowenna entered the competition with an idea to target young people who are disillusioned and disengaged with mainstream politics. The prize money will go towards building a website that will link young people to local governments around the country who are struggling to find new councilors You can see Rowenna’s live pitch here http://www.lifeacademy.uk.com/entries/view/13bf5e648274446bac2bc6d97bda4f91

Creativity Explorer Grant

Nick Palfrey, 23, from Plymouth won the Creativity Explorer Grant for Moofu Education, an e-learning system aimed at maximizing students’ potential by using multi-media tools and new technology to make learning spaces better.   Using cutting edge games technology, and an understanding of students’ needs, it encourages students to design, create and develop their own learning spaces – and interact with the elements within.

You can see Nick’s live pitch here http://www.lifeacademy.uk.com/entries/view/b7d0df6568334198b22d89b7f8780c93

Internet Explorer 8 Life Academy is a national competition launched to give 18-25 year olds a chance to explore their future potential and win a £10,000 grant to make their socially responsible ideas a reality. All entrants had to pitch for a grant in one of three categories.

For more information on Internet Explorer 8 Life Academy including the original 12 finalists checkout our website http://www.lifeacademy.uk.com/

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Microsoft and Expedia.co.uk Launch First Dedicated Browser for Travel Enthusiasts

Jun 2

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Announcements | 1 Comment

Microsoft and Expedia.co.uk have launched the first dedicated and optimised web browser for travel enthusiasts, available for download at http://www.expedia.co.uk/ie8.aspx.

To simplify the travel search process, Microsoft is bringing the easy to use functionality of Expedia.co.uk direct to the browser to provide ready-access for every step of the travel process from choosing a destination through to the latest weather and currency fluctuations as their trip approaches.

The new Expedia.co.uk version of Internet Explorer 8 helps travel enthusiasts with a range of straightforward features which will update dynamically with useful information such as flights and room prices – keeping travel enthusiasts up-to-date as they browse the web and carry on with their day. These features include Accelerators which are predefined Favourites to help users navigate to the most relevant websites in one click, as well as customised Webslices that bring external website content direct into the Expedia page without needing to open new tabs and search.

  • Expedia Last Minute Deals – the simple to use drop down menus include car hire, flights and hotel, flights, hotels and package holidays for all Expedia’s best deals
  • Expedia Hot Hotel – categorises results by star rating and average guest review to deliver the very best hotel deals from over 123,000 hotels found on Expedia.
  • Expedia Weather – provides local forecasts for the selected destination
  • Expedia Currency Converter – simplifies the maths with up to the minute exchange rates

In addition, SmartScreen filter will help the 40 per cent of Brits who don’t know how to protect themselves from online identity theft as it helps keeps online travellers safe from dangers like malicious software and phishing threats. Internet Explorer 8 offers the best protection against socially engineered malware compared to other browser (NSS Labs, Feb 2010 ).

Additional features include Expedia Visual Search which answers specific queries within the Expedia site and delivers results in both images and text so users get the full picture of where they’re booking. Users can also download the Expedia Holiday Countdown gadget direct to their desktop so they know exactly how long they have to wait until they depart.

The Internet Explorer 8 Expedia browser can be downloaded here: http://www.expedia.co.uk/ie8.aspx.

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Need For Speed

May 6

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | No Comments

Picture the scenario, we’ve all been there. You’re in a rush and trying to search for the address and map for an important meeting that you’re late for but the computer doesn’t appreciate your urgency.

At The Blue E, we know how important it is for browsers to get you where you want on the internet and the need to do this as quickly as possible.

To help you achieve this, here are a couple of easy steps you can do that only take a few minutes to complete.

Firstly, browsers store cached data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. You’ll notice this when you visit sites frequently and the pages load a lot faster than sites you rarely visit. To increase the speed of your browser, you should regularly delete this data by completing the following steps: 

  1. Click Safety, and then click Delete Browsing History.
  2. In Delete Browsing History area, click Delete.
  3. A progress bar is displayed to indicate that the browsing history is being cleared. After this process is complete, test Internet Explorer to verify that it works correctly.

Similarly, add-ons, such as ActiveX controls and browser toolbars, are used by some Websites to provide an enhanced browsing experience. But while achieving this, it can slow down the speed at which your pages load.

To remedy this issue:

  1. Click Start, and then type Internet Explorer in the Start Search box.
  2. Click Internet Explorer (No Add-Ons). Internet Explorer opens without add-ons, toolbars, or plug-ins.
  3. Test Internet Explorer to verify that it works correctly.

These are only a couple of tips to improve your browsing experience. Take a look here at the turbo-charged features in Internet Explorer 8: http://tech.uk.msn.com/microsoft/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=151454907

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What is Internet Explorer 8?

Mar 19

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest Internet browser offering from Microsoft. Designed to give you the best internet experience, the new browser is optimised for MSN and incorporates a plethora of new features like Web Slices and Accelerators, plus, you can download the nifty new Bing toolbar to further complement your browsing.

The new IE8 will make the web faster, safer and easier than ever before, why? Sit back as we take you through some nifty new technology that makes up the world of The Blue E.

Get a slice of the action

Is your Favourites list as long as your arm? As part of our daily web browsing, most of us visit many different sites, and this can be time consuming. So many websites, so little time!

What if there was a way to view all of the cool bits in one go?  Well consider IE8 your fairy godmother, as Web Slices brings it all to you. Web Slices allow you to subscribe to portions of your favourite websites.

With a single click, you can view and interact with the latest updates on those sites you have earmarked, without leaving your current page; catch-up with the latest headlines, check the status of an online auction, view status updates from your social network, or keep tabs on the latest football scores. It will constantly alert you of new content by changing colour or going bold.

Accelerators

What is an Accelerator? The clue is in the name, Accelerators make it faster and easier to connect to a host of popular web services.

Accelerators are built into IE8, so if you’re going out later and need to look up an address, using a price comparison site to shop around, or need language translation services on the fly – you can get going from the off. Each of these tasks are time consuming and require numerous steps from start to finish.

Use Accelerators to let you preview online services just by pointing your mouse at them. Search, map, e-mail, translate, or share content from any web page you’re currently viewing.

Internet Explorer 8 comes specially preinstalled with Accelerators from Bing and MSN Video.

InPrivate

InPrivate Filters and Browsing are a series of security measures designed to make your browsing session safer and keep your data more secure.

Whenever you surf the web some of the information about your visit is automatically sent to the website provider. Filtering helps you control this information and choose which providers (if any) receive information about the places you visit.

IE8 gives you two options; automatic filtering or manual where you can specify websites yourself, both can be toggled on/off with just a few clicks.

InPrivate Browsing helps prevent Internet Explorer from storing data about your browsing session. This includes cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and other data. Toolbars and extensions are disabled by default.

Bing bar

Want to have the latest breaking news, reviews and photos delivered straight to your desktop, then grab the all-new Bing bar. 

Download Internet Explorer 8 for Windows 7/Vista 32-bit
Download Internet Explorer 8 for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit
Download Internet Explorer 8 for Windows XP

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Internet Explorer 8 Click Clever Click Safe browser helps parents and young people tackle online safety fears

Mar 18

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

Online safety is a worry for every parent, with this in mind Microsoft joined forces with CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) to launch a customized Internet Explorer 8 browser to promote online safety for families, with a clear and direct route to CEOP via the ‘Click CEOP’ button.

Available for download at www.clickceop.net/ie8 Internet Explorer 8 Click Clever Click Safe provides young people with immediate access to CEOP, the government’s one-stop shop for internet safety, where they can report any concerns they may have and see the most up to date information about staying safe online for the whole family. 

Internet Explorer is developing some great add-ons, stay tuned as we update you on the variety of add-ons we are creating to further improve your Internet experience.

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IE8 SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware

Mar 15

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

At the recent RSA 2010 Security Conference in San Francisco, Microsoft Program Manager Eric Lawrence was struck by how many of the speeches warned about the threat that socially-engineered malware poses to the security of the Internet.

Malware, which is short for malicious software, is designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner’s consent. In recent years it has become a real concern as many people often think they are downloading games or free videos when in fact they are downloading Trojans and viruses. Our data shows that one out of every 250 downloads is the result of a user being tricked into downloading malware to their PC.

Microsoft works tirelessly to stop malware and is proud of the protection the SmartScreen® Filter provides to IE8 users from such attacks.

To quote Eric:

“Since we launched IE8 in March 2009, SmartScreen has blocked over 560 million attempts to download malware, recently averaging over 3 million blocks per day! Hosted in datacenters around the world, SmartScreen’s URL Reputation Service (URS) has evaluated over 250 billion URLs to help keep IE8 users safe from malware. Even more impressively, since IE7’s Phishing Filter was introduced in 2005, the URS has processed over 5.7 trillion reputation requests in order to block malicious web sites. Every day, Microsoft receives around 300 million telemetry reports from IE8 users and processes 4.1 billion URLs looking for malicious websites and files. On the back end, our systems and analysts evaluate over 1 terabyte of binaries every day to help identify sites delivering malware.”

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of Internet Explorer and has been designed to provide market leading protection against malware. Older browsers will not have the same level of protection. If your family and friends are not using Internet Explorer 8, please encourage them to upgrade for a safer Internet experience.

For more information visit http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2010/03/05/ie8-smartscreen-filter-protecting-users-at-internet-scale.aspx

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