Security Issues

Many Web sites have ugly little problems that shouldn't exist in the first place. If you pay attention to such things when you surf, you'll know precisely what I mean.

One problem I dislike most is ancient Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates that expired long ago, or don't even have the right information associated with them. Browsers such as Firefox have pointed out these problems for quite some time now. However, an IE user could blissfully use that supposedly-secure Web site without ever knowing it had problems. This problem doesn't exist any longer. If your Web site has an old or inappropriate SSL certificate, the application very likely will not work with IE7; safeguards are in place to protect against such problems.

None of the phishing features in IE7 appears to cause problems with legitimate Web sites. I tested all the features in both application suites in all environments, without once running afoul of this particular feature. In fact, developers should be happy about this feature, because it means that nefarious individuals are less likely to hijack users that are coming to your Web site.

The only issue that you need to consider is whether your certificate is up-to-date and contains the right information about your Web site. In fact, if validation is especially important for your Web site (such as if you sell products, manage money, or provide services), then you'll want to get one of the new High Assurance (HA) certificates.

The Bottom Line

You might think that all of these changes are a pain. In many respects, you're right. However, the changes really are necessary. Creating a secure internet (or at least one where you don't have to walk on eggshells) is everyone's responsibility. The changes you make to update your Web site to IE7 will benefit everyone. The user benefits from added security, enhanced privacy protection, and improved features. Your company benefits from fewer attacks and reduced support requirements. You'll benefit from those extra weekends you get to spend at home, rather than at the office. Unfortunately, to get all of these benefits, you'll need to spend time now fixing the things that caused the problems in the first place.