Are you still using Internet Explorer? The majority of people are that hit our website and most others that track this information, but, as you can see from the graph on the right, alternative browsers are gaining ground.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, like it or not, is the de facto “standard” that web sites and web applications are built to support. There are many reasons for that, and obviously the main one is that IE is shipped with Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, and Microsoft Windows dominates as the OS of choice for both individuals and businesses.

As Apple Mac OS, Linux and other operating systems become a bit more mainstream, the alternative browsers that these systems ship with will cut into the Microsoft IE market share, but there is more going on here than a switch to new operating systems.

You are probably way ahead of me on this, but due to concerns over security, there seems to be a mass exodus away from IE. We’ve heard from our clients that they are worried about the seemingly endless flow of vulnerability announcements from Microsoft and then the subsequent patches that must be installed in order to ensure they can safely browse the web.

That, combined with the fact that other browsers are offering what feels like a faster browsing experience, a slew of new features, additional plugins or addons not available on IE, and a shiny new look makes it easy to see why the IE market share has dropped and Chrome has come up.

Chrome recently added some Active Directory integration making the browser even better than before for System Administrators.

Surprisingly, Mozilla Firefox, the second most popular browser, has actually been declining in popularity along side IE, while Safari and Opera have remained pretty constant in the low end of the scale.

With Chrome breaking into the ten percent market share, and pulling away from Apple’s Safari rapidly, it appears that Chrome could overtake Firefox in the next 12 to 18 months. Very interesting information.

Click on the graph for the link to the original article and more information.

No matter which browser you use, remember, there ARE security flaws. Chrome is not impervious to exploits, so, please remember to browse responsibly! Use current anti-virus / anti-malware, and common sense. (IE, Don’t install addons, plugins or codecs etc that you do not trust).

If you would like to discuss security concerns or whether a particular browser may be right for your business here in Greenville or the Upstate, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com