Call (716) 373-4467

After being the main entry to the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. As of June 15, 2022, Microsoft dropped the web browser from support.

IE ushered in the age of connection to the world in 1995 and held a majority of the browser market share for many years. But the release of newer technologies like Google Chrome made it less relevant.

In 2014, Internet Explorer still held about 59% of the global market share, with Chrome at 21%. But just two years later, IE lost its top spot to Chrome and trailed behind another newcomer, Safari.

In 2015, the writing was already on the wall when Microsoft released a new browser, Edge. With Edge destined to take IE’s place as the official browser installed on Windows systems.

It’s inevitable, the longer technology is driving work and home life, that we’re going to lose some of our favorites. Adobe Flash Player is another technology that used to be widely used and is now gone.

So, now that IE has reached its end of life (EOL), what happens next?   

     

Microsoft Will Redirect Users to IE Mode in Edge

According to Microsoft, now that IE is officially out of support it will redirect users. Over the next few months, a new experience will happen. Those opening this outdated browser will instead land in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

To ease the transition away from Internet Explorer, Microsoft added IE Mode to Edge. This mode makes it possible for organizations to still use legacy sites that may have worked best in IE. It uses the Trident MSHTML engine from IE11 to do this.

When in IE mode, you’ll still see the Internet Explorer icon on your device. But if you open it, you’ll actually be in Microsoft Edge

 

Microsoft Will Be Removing Internet Explorer Icons in the Future

Microsoft isn’t yet getting rid of the IE icons that appear in places like the taskbar and Start menu on Windows, but it will in a future update. This means users can expect to see those removed at some point.

 

Edge Will Import Browser Data from IE

What about your favorites, saved passwords, and other settings that you have in IE? Microsoft Edge will import these from Internet Explorer for you, so they’re not lost. This will include things like your browsing history and other data stored in the browser. You’ll then be able to access these in the Microsoft Edge’s settings area.

 

With IE Retired, What Do You Need to Do Now?

Uninstall the Browser

It’s risky to keep older technology that is no longer supported on your system. Cybercriminals love to exploit older tools that are not receiving any security updates. This leaves an open invitation to breach your network. Manufacturers are never going to address these because they retired the software.

Outdated technology costs enterprises approximately 47% more when they suffer a data breach. As compared to those with updated tools.

You should transition your stored information to Microsoft Edge (or another trusted browser). Then uninstall IE from your device or devices.

 

Ensure Employees Know How to Use IE Mode in Edge

A scenario that businesses want to avoid is what happened to many organizations in Japan. Several government and corporate users weren’t prepared for the retirement of IE. 

It was reported that IT and engineering departments received many calls for help. This was due to unpreparedness for the browser’s demise. Although it came with warnings, it was a shock to many that used legacy sites that need IE to work. This included the customers of government agencies, financial institutions, and other organizations.

This left them scrambling to try to figure out what to do at the last minute. They still needed access to employee attendance management, and other online tools.

Of course, with IE mode in Edge, this transition didn’t need to be so chaotic. But without communication or training, more than 20% of affected users hadn’t figured out what to do.

Make sure you communicate with your team what to do. Companies can automate IE mode for their users so that it launches automatically.

 

Train Employees on Microsoft Edge Features

Microsoft Edge has a lot of benefits over IE and other browsers. It’s faster and more responsive than Internet Explorer. It also has comprehensive security controls (including password breach monitoring) and has unique features such as “collections.”

But with all new tools, if you want employees to use them proficiently, they need to have a chance to learn them. Take the time to transition right, and have your employees trained on Edge.

 

Need Help Upgrading Your Digital Tools?

You don’t have to panic when a technology you use retires. We can help you upgrade well ahead of any deadlines. Reach out today at 716-373-4467 x 115 or [email protected] to schedule a technology consultation. 

 

 

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Access Control Administrative Privileges AI AI algorithms AI in Cybersecurity Annual Security Training Anti-Virus Artificial Intelligence Authenticator App Automation Backup and Recovery Backup Redundancy BCDR BEC breach prevention Breach Prevention Platform Breaches business continuity Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Business Email Compromise Business Email Compromises Business Growth Business Phone System Business Software BYOD Call Directory Channel Futures MSP 501 Cisco Cloud Accounts Cloud Data Backup Cloud Infrastructure Cloud Security Cloud Solutions Compliance Comprehensive Cybersecurity Compromised Credentials Computer Installation computer support Computer Upgrades Conditional Access Credential Theft Cyber Attacks Cyber Criminals Cyber Defenses Cyber Insurance cyber liability insurance Cyber Risk Management Cyberattacks Cyberinsurance cybersecurity Cybersecurity Awareness month Cybersecurity Breach Cybersecurity Culture Cybersecurity Strategy Cybersecurity Training Cybersecurity Webinar Dark Web Dark Web Monitoring Data Backup Data Backup and Recovery Data Backup Solution Data Breach Data Breaches Data Governance Data Loss Data Management Data Privacy Compliance Data Privacy Regulation data protection Data Recovery Data Restoration Data Security deepfake Deepfakes Defense in Depth Denial of Service Device Security Disaster Recover Disaster Recovery DNS Filtering doug wilson employee cybersecurity training Encryption Endpoint Detection and Response Endpoint Protection field technician Foundation Security Gift Card Scams Hackers Hosted VoIP Hybrid work i.t. service provider Identity Theft incident response plan Incident Response Planning Insider Threats Internet Explorer Internet of Things Intrusion Detection Intrusion Prevention IoT Devices IT Budget IT Budgeting IT Compliance IT Infrastructure IT Myths IT Partner IT Policies IT Resource IT Security IT Service Provider IT Services IT Support Juice Jacking Local Admin local admin privileges Lost Devices M365 malware Managed Clients Managed Detection and Response Managed IT Managed IT Provider Managed IT Services managed service provider managed services Manages Services MDR MFA Microsoft Microsoft 356 Microsoft 365 Copilot Microsoft End of Support Microsoft Office Mobile Devices MSP MSP 501 Winner MSP501 Multi-Factor Authentication Network Monitoring Network Security Network Testing Networking New Computer NIST Framework Offboarding Office 365 Outlook Outsourced IT password management Password Manager Password Managers Password Protection password security Passwords Patch Management Patches Patching PC Performance Penetration Testing Personal Data phishing Phishing Attacks PII Proactive Monitoring Processor productivity Professional Tune-Up Public WiFi Push-Bombing RAM Ransomware Ransomware Prevention Recovery point objective Recovery Time Calculator Recovery time objective Remote Monitoring Remote Working repeatbusinesssystems Ring Groups risk assessment Risk Management Risk Tolerance Rock-It VoIP RPO RTO RTO Costs SaaS SaaS Backup Scammers Scams security Security Assessment Security Assessments Security Awareness Training Security Defaults Security Key Security Scans SLAM Method Smart Tech Smishing SMS Social Engineering Social Media Security Software Integration Software-as-a-Service Solid-State Drive Sponsored Google Ads SSD stolen credentials Storage Teams technical support scam technology best practices Technology Budget Technology Infrastructure Technology Management Technology Plan Technology Policies Technology Review Threat Detection Threat Identification Threat Modeling top-performing managed service providers Updates virus VoIP Systems VPN Vulnerabilities Vulnerability Assessment Vulnerability Management Warning Signs Webinar Windows 10 Windows 11 Windows 8.1 Work Computers World Backup Day zero trust policy