03 Feb 2010

IE8 'is leading browser'

Internet Explorer (IE) 8 has become the world's leading browser, new figures have shown.

Cliff Saran, managing editor of Computer Weekly magazine, said the launch of Windows 7 has helped push IE8 up the rankings, as the program is bundled with the operating system.

He commented: "Some people prefer Firefox, which has less security issues, simply because fewer people use it - it is not worth the time hacking Firefox since an IE attack will affect more users."

Mr Saran added, however, that Google's new Chrome browser could be a viable alternative to IE8, as at the moment there are fewer criminals targeting this software and therefore data security could be better than for IE.

Elsewhere, the German and French governments recently condemned the use of IE as they claim flaws in its structure led to hackers infiltrating Google last year, resulting in data loss for a number of high-profile businesses.