Microsoft are planning on releasing their next beta version of Internet Explorer 8 (Beta2) with major security upgrades.Leaving aside the absurdity of testing their software on the public and actually having multiple Test versions – this is good news for the current IE8 Beta 1 users (numbering in the hundreds of thousands).
The new beta version will feature new security filters which are designed to filter out phishing attempts and cross-site-scripting attacks – which sounds awfully similiar to the new features that Firefox 3 released recently.
The security upgrade, based on the standard phishing filter currently in IE7, will have improved heuristics technology and the ability to analyze URL strings for phishing site detection. All very good. The filter will also add the ability to detect and warn users when trying to download a file from a web site that has been reported for distriubuting malware.
These new features could help prevent against social engineering malware attacks in which the user is tricked into launching a malicious application – usually installing a key logger trojan or some other virus and spyware.
Microsoft says it is planning on releasing it’s latest test product to the masses in August – but hasn’t given dates for the final version of the product as yet (expected late this year).
You can download the current Beta 1 version of Internet Explorer 8 from the Microsoft Website.
