Microsoft Higher Education - Mid-Atlantic : Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer 7 Desktop Security Guide

Kevin Dean — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 22:45:00 GMT

Internet Explorer 7 offers users more protection than previous versions of the browser through a combination of new features and more secure default settings. In keeping with the need to balance security and usability, the default values for these new features and settings have been configured to offer the best choice for a broad range of users.

This white paper examines some of these new features and settings that you can modify to provide a more "locked down" security configuration. This paper does not provide a complete review of all settings, nor is the guidance in it specifically equivalent to the Enhanced Server Configuration for Windows Server® 2003. The settings and features this paper discusses offer additional security guidance for the broadest impact on most users and administrators.

This paper discusses both the Windows Vista® and Windows® XP versions of Internet Explorer. Administrators and system owners can use the guidance in this paper to tighten security settings in the browser to meet their specific needs. The document is structured to provide a description and review of the settings and features the paper discusses. Microsoft recommendations for enhancing the default security settings in some common deployment scenarios are also provided.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6AA4C1DA-6021-468E-A8CF-AF4AFE4C84B2&displaylang=en

Add-ons to IE7

Kevin Dean — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:54:00 GMT

Following on my previous post on the availability of IE7 RC1, I ran across this site with a wealth of add-ons to IE7. www.ieaddons.com We have a rich set of 3rd party add-ons listed and we are committed to improving this resource over time, so check back periodically. Most users are familiar with toolbars, but many don't realize the breadth of the add-ons available for Internet Explorer.

For example, many of us have difficulty with spelling. Enter IESpell: the spell-checker for the web. It’s a free download for non-commercial use, and spell-checks any text typed into a form. IESpell will also look up word definitions and works with several language dictionaries. Right-click on any word in a page, and IESpell will get you the definition.

Another customized feature is navigation with mouse gestures. There is a well-put-together add-on (with source!) for Internet Explorer that adds mouse gestures to the browser frame. With this add-on you can go forward, back, and even open tabs depending on how you move the mouse. Mouse gestures are not for everyone – but for those who like it, the add-on makes for an even more personal browsing experience.

These add-ons are just two of the hundreds available for IE7. New add-ons are being submitted to www.ieaddons.com every day. Have fun customizing your Internet experience!

Internet Explorer 7 RC1 is now available

Kevin Dean — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:26:00 GMT

We are excited to announce the public availability of the Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). With this release, we're strongly encouraging web developers, enthusiasts, and IT professionals to finalize their testing and ready their environments for the final availability of Internet Explorer 7. We are confident that websites and applications that are optimized with this build will be compatible with the final version when it is released later this year. For an easy path to compatibility, we encourage technical audiences to download the free Readiness Toolkit.

Internet Explorer 7 RC1 is available for download on Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003 systems. The Internet Explorer 7 RC1 build includes improvements in performance, stability, security, and application compatibility. With this build, Microsoft has also made enhancements to the fit and finish of the user interface, completed CSS platform changes, added language support, and included an auto-uninstall feature in Setup, which automatically uninstalls prior betas of Internet Explorer 7, making installing the new build even easier.

As previously announced, to help our customers become more secure and up to date, Microsoft will also distribute Internet Explorer 7 as a high-priority update via Automatic Updates soon after the final version is released for Windows XP later this year.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

MICROSOFT WILL DELIVER INTERNET EXPLORER 7 via AU in Q4 2006

Kevin Dean — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:00:00 GMT

Microsoft has announced that we will distribute Internet Explorer 7 as a high-priority update via Automatic Updates after the final version of Internet Explorer 7 is released for Windows XP (planned for the 4th quarter of 2006). A non-expiring Blocker Toolkit is available for organizations that want to block automatic delivery within their environment.

Why Microsoft Is Taking This Action

The new security features in Internet Explorer 7 (including “defense in depth” measures such as ActiveX Opt-In and Phishing Filter) provide significant security benefits, and Microsoft will recommend that all customers install the update. Automatic Updates is being used to distribute Internet Explorer 7 because it is Microsoft’s primary means for helping unmanaged users become more secure and up-to-date. (Note that Microsoft will continue to release security updates to fix identified security vulnerabilities for Internet Explorer 6.)

Key Details

· 4^th Quarter of 2006 activity provides advance notice: Automatic distribution will begin shortly after the IE7 RTM version is released, planned for the 4^th quarter of 2006. Final timeline for automatic distribution will be determined when the IE7 release date is set.

· Free Blocker Toolkit available for customers: Organizations relying on AU for patch management in some or all of their environments may wish to delay IE7 deployment (for example, to allow additional time for intranet site compatibility testing or user training). In those situations, customers may choose to deploy a non-expiring Blocker Toolkit (similar to the one used for Windows XP SP2) prior to IE 7 RTM. The Blocker Toolkit is available in the Microsoft Download Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=65788. The Blocker Toolkit includes both a Group Policy template and a script that set a registry key to prevent Automatic Updates and the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites from offering Internet Explorer 7 as a high-priority update.

· IE7 will not install without user consent: As part of the delivery, AU will notify users once the update is ready to install and will present a welcome screen summarizing key features and offering users options of “Install,” Don’t Install,” and “Ask Me Later.” Installation will not occur unless a user who is a local administrator chooses “Install.” A draft of the welcome screen is include below.