Internet explorer (IE)
Microsoft's Internet Explorer( IE) is a web browser for the Windowsoperating system, which is integrated as a fixed component in all Windows versions. The first version was introduced in 1995, followed in subsequent years by further, constantly expanded and improved versions, up to the current version 8.
Web browsers such as Internet Explorer are navigation and communication tools for navigating between web pages, browsing the Web, and playing back images, graphics, video, and audio. As communication tools, they support file transfer and e-mail.
Newer versions always represented an extension of the functionalities of the previous version. For example, the first versions were 16-bit versions, which were supplemented by the 32-bit version as early as the mid-1990s. Among the many functions supported from version 4, the standard browser of Windows 98, were the automatic updating of web pages, the quick launch bar, favorite links, additional graphic formats, offline browsing, drag-and-drop, the inclusion of icons in the taskbar, Cascading Style Sheets( CSS) as design elements, Object Linking and Embedding( OLE) with which objects can be linked dynamically at the desktop level, and several other features.
InInternet Explorer version 6, which was integrated as a standard version in Windows XP, access to HTML or XML documents was introduced with Document Object Model( DOM) and a description language based on XML with Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language( SMIL). Further innovations were the pop-up blocker and extended administration functions. With Internet Explorer version 7.0 came the extension to 64-bit systems. This version brought tabbed navigation and supported subscribing to RSS feeds and Atom feeds. In addition, more security features were integrated into this version.
Internet Explorer version 8 supports route calculation, word translation and general routine tasks such as calling up certain websites from the Favorites bar with preview window and Web slice function from other websites. A major focus of Internet Explorer 8 is the advanced security and privacy features that protect users from online threats. One example of this is the filter against Cross Site Scripting. This technique involves attacks on security holes in a website that are used as a way to break into the system. The attack is carried out by means of an e-mail in which an Internet address is specified to trigger an action, such as the entry of access data for bank accounts. Another security filter is the SmartScreen filter, which protects the user from phishing and malware. Malicious websites and downloaded files that are considered a security risk and can lead to the compromise of data and identities are blocked. Microsoft manages security risk websites centrally, with the file being entered by all users.
Another feature is the highlighting of the domain name in the address bar. This has the advantage that the domain can be recognized directly for complex Internet addresses( URL). Internet Explorer is also available for smartphones as Internet Explorer Mobile. It is integrated in the Windows Phone operating system by default.