Support for Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9, and 10 has come to an end (along with support for Windows 8 – but, hey, that’s another story). Microsoft’s deadline was January 12, 2016. If you see that big “E” on your computer desktop, you should consider a switch. We’ll tell you why, but first let us explain Microsoft’s plan.

Microsoft is pushing users to embrace Windows 10 and their newest web browser Edge together, but at the very least they are pushing devoted users to Internet Explorer 11. Both IE11 and Edge have the basic features including tabs, search powered by Bing, and similar performance and speed. On the other hand, Edge does have a little bit of an edge over its sister browser. (Pun intended.)

Edge touts the use of Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana. “Ask Cortana” to pull up photos, search results, and more by simply right-clicking while you’re browsing. With Cortana’s help, Microsoft gives you access to extra information all over the place, and you can write or type a Web Note directly on the page to comment or share. Also, keep in mind that Edge has a much more modern look to it than its IE counterparts.

The top three web browsers at the end of 2015 were Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer in that order, according to W3Schools.com. Thanks to this market dominance, we see attackers constantly looking for vulnerabilities. The high number of users helps these attackers ensure some type of exploitation will eventually pay off.

That brings us back to why you should switch browsers ASAP.

Microsoft will not offer technical support, security updates, or compatibility fixes for any browsers other than IE11 and Edge. If you are using IE 7, 8, 9, or 10, watch out. Your old IE browser’s vulnerabilities will be calling out to attackers. If security holes aren’t already there in your bookmarks, banking websites, and more, they could start popping up with no notice or remedy.

Now on to our recommendations.

The team at Vervocity covers the whole spectrum. We are Windows users and Mac users. Some of us use Google Chrome, and some of us use Mozilla Firefox. These web browsers come to us from personal preference and habit, so not many of us regularly use Opera, Safari, Torch, or any of the other many options available.

No matter which web browser you use, you should stay informed. Pay attention to security updates, upgrades, and news from the maker. Don’t be caught off-guard.

Our final suggestion – if you are a die-hard IE user – is at the very least, please upgrade to IE11 if you haven’t already!