IE has been used by organisations globally since 1995 and remained preinstalled on Windows devices for almost 20 years. But it’s now time to say goodbye.

Over the past 18 months, Microsoft have been pushing organisations to move away from Internet Explorer (IE) after announcing the end of support for IE 11 in August 2021.

Nearly a year after the end of support, the IE 11 application is set to retire permanently on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.

IE has been used by organisations globally since 1995 and remained preinstalled on Windows devices for almost 20 years. By 2003, the browser controlled 95% of the world’s web browser usage

However, in August 2021, IE held just 0.62% of control. Aside from the announcement for end of support, it is suspected that the browser had lost custom for several reasons including a failure to keep up with competitors and a lack of updates.

Following end of support, IE was also heavily targeted by threat actors and in August 2021, it was reported that North Korean advanced persistent threat (APT) Inky Squid were leveraging known vulnerabilities in IE to deploy malware.

Additionally, in November, ransomware operator Magniber exploited two vulnerabilities in the browser to achieve widespread ransomware deployment. Such active campaigns further encouraged organisations to alter their browser preferences for increased security.

The retirement of the IE 11 application means that organisations globally will be undertaking operational shifts to leverage newer browsers. Retiring the use of IE before June, including Identifying IE-dependent sites, will help organisations deal with IE’s retirement more effectively.

Microsoft have encouraged users to shift their functionalities to chromium-based browser Microsoft Edge stating:

"Customers are encouraged to move to Microsoft Edge, which provides support for legacy and modern websites and apps. For organisations with a dependency on legacy Internet Explorer-based sites and apps, sites will need to be configured to open in Microsoft Edge using Internet Explorer (IE) mode".

Numerous organisations may still rely on IE and therefore they are encouraged to prepare for

IE 11 retirement by scoping potential impact internally. The retirement of IE 11 affects Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later) and Windows 10 IoT (version 20H2 and later).

Unaffected versions are as outlined:

• Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge
• Internet Explorer platform (MSHTML/Trident), including WebOC
• Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on:
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU)
  • Windows Server SAC (all versions)
  • Windows 10 IoT Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) (all versions)
  • Windows Server LTSC (all versions)
  • Windows 10 client LTSC (all versions)

For unaffected systems, Microsoft have stated "Internet Explorer 11 will continue receiving security updates and technical support for the lifecycle of the Windows version on which it is installed’.

Organisations can review further guidance from Microsoft here.

Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).