Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Internet Explorer 8 Privacy Features Leaks Private Info.

(1/1)

Ehtyar:
Well if you didn't see this coming, slap yourself upside the head.




A privacy feature built into the second beta version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 browser aren't as private as advertised.

The InPrivate Browsing feature in Microsoft's latest browser is designed to delete a user's browsing history and other personal data that is gathered and stored during regular browsing sessions. The feature is commonly referred to as 'porn mode' for its ability to hide which websites have been visited from nosy spouses or employers.

Forensic experts however found it trivial to retrieve the history, according to a test by Webwereld, an IDG affiliate in the Netherlands, and Fox IT, a Dutch firm specializing in IT security and forensic research.

--- End quote ---

Full Story

Ehtyar.

Deozaan:
I think that, to be fair, the final paragraph should also be quoted:

Microsoft's main goal with InPrivate Browsing is to prevent other users of the same computer to gain access to the browsing history, the company said in an e-mail response. The feature isn't designed to protect a user's privacy from security experts and forensic researchers, the company said.
--- End quote ---

Ehtyar:
I certainly see your point, however, it does not take a "security expert" to go nosing through the browser's cache.
Even more data is stored in the browser's cache, a feature designed to speed up performance of websites by storing a copy of recently accessed information on a user's hard disk. InPrivate Browsing failed to disable this feature.

--- End quote ---
In all fairness this is a beta, it will be interesting to see if Microsoft at least fixes this problem in the final.

Ehtyar.

Navigation

[0] Message Index