Microsoft released version 9 of its Internet Explorer web browser. You can download IE 9 from windows.microsoft.com.

Microsoft also set up a domain dedicated to the new browser: www.beautyoftheweb.com. Unfortunately, that site isn't hosted under the microsoft.com domain, nor does it have an SSL certificate to confirm that it belongs to Microsoft. Using this site to distribute the browser goes against the advice of downloading software only from known vendor websites. Copycat malicious sites claiming to distribute IE 9 will probably appear shortly, if they aren't around yet.

Internet Explorer 9 includes a number of security improvements that make the upgrade worth your consideration. These include application reputation capabilities that are part of the SmartScreen feature that helps protect the user against socially-engineered malware. The browser also supports the notion of Pinned Sites, which implements "secure launch" capabilities to safeguard users' sessions with important websites. Internet Explorer 9 also improves its resistance to exploits by embracing support for DEP/NX, ASLR and SafeSEH memory protection capabilities. The new browser also improves the messages its users see when they download files and programs; the messages are designed to make it easier for the users to assess the risk of opening such files.

Updates:

• Note that Internet Explorer 9 is not available for Windows XP.
• If you're looking for tips on rolling out IE 9 in an enterprise environment, see Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 FAQ for IT Professionals.
• You should be able to uninstall Internet Explorer 9 without issues.

Have you had a chance to experiment with Internet Explorer 9? Let us know what you think of its security capabilities.

-- Lenny Zeltser

Lenny Zeltser leads a security consulting team and teaches how to analyze and combat malware. He is active on Twitter and writes a daily security blog.