Microsoft's Silent Internet Explorer Updates Could Mean the End For IE6

Many Windows users will get a silent upgrade to Internet Explorer 9.

Microsoft's taking a leaf out of Google Chrome's book by launching silent, automatic updates for its Internet Explorer Web browser from January 2012.

Designed as a belt and braces move to improve browser security, the hidden updates could ring the death knell for the clunky old Internet Explorer 6, which is more than 10 years old.

Internet Explorer Security Risks

Upgrading your Internet Explorer browser is certainly an effective way to enhance security as hackers often target older browsers and software to distribute viruses, malware and other nasties. Scammers also target users with older versions of Internet Explorer, tricking them with fake upgrade offers that download software laden with malware.

Despite the security risk of staying with older versions, some users simply can't be bothered with the hassle of downloading and installing the latest version, even when prompted by Windows Update or nag screens on the older browser.

Browsing with an older version of Internet Explorer also means that users miss out on some of the latest Web features. Some Web pages may not even display correctly in aged browsers, such as Internet Explorer 6, which was first launched with the Windows XP operating system.

Internet Explorer Silent Updates From January 2010

Microsoft's testing the silent update method on users in Brazil and Australia before rolling it out to the rest of the world. Only users who have the Windows Update feature set to download and install automatic updates will receive the browser upgrade.

Windows XP users will get an automatic bump up to Internet Explorer 8, while Vista and Windows 7 users will get upgraded to Internet Explorer 9. Once the latest browser for each operating system is installed, future updates will arrive silently, without the user having to download updates or take any action.

Explaining the move, Microsoft's Ryan Gavin says in a company blog post: "For consumers, the safety benefits are one of the key reasons that the industry has been moving towards automatic updates as the norm. This is increasingly important since the biggest online threat these days issocially engineered malware, which typically targets outdated software like Web browsers."