Microsoft discontinues support for Internet Explorer 8-10

Some 20% of Web Users Continue To Use Outdated Versions

Microsoft officially ended support for versions 8-10 of Internet Explorer by issuing one final patch on January 12. Included in the patch is a pop-up reminder that will warn users away from the software, encouraging them to upgrade to either Internet Explorer 11 or, if they’re using Windows 10, to Microsoft Edge.

NetMarketShare reports that some 20 percent of internet traffic comes from these soon to be unsupported browsers, which is about the same as the number of people who are currently using Internet Explorer 11. Meanwhile, only two percent of web traffic comes from Edge, Microsoft’s new browser that is bundled with Windows 10. The main competitor to Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, has been steadily rising to take over 30 percent of the web browser market.

While operating system patches remain an important security concern, the web browser is the first line of defense against internet-based threats, so the discontinuation of security patches for the browsers that generate over 20 percent of web traffic is a big deal–to both individual users and IT departments alike. To that end, Microsoft is offering support to corporations wishing to make an upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 or Edge.

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Original article by Ryan Whitwam of ExtremeTech.