Use Internet Explorer 9? You need this update, stat

Just over 8.5% of TNW readers, which amounts to a whole pile of traffic, use Internet Explorer on their normal computers (non-mobile), so this post is for them. If you use Internet Explorer (and we presume that that means you are on version 9, the good one), you need to make sure that you have the April ‘Cumulative Security Update’ for the browser.

It patches some five previously reported issues, making it an essential grab if Internet Explorer is your daily drive. Depending on how you have your Windows Update settings tuned, you might be snagging it automatically, but if not, details can be found right here.

According to NeoWin, there is some serious correction going on in the patch: “This security update resolves five privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user visits a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer.” You need more protection. Don’t be a fool, wrap your IE9.

Now, why did I mention the percentage of TNW readers who do so using Internet Explorer? Because, and I did not expect this, Internet Explorer is, ahem, picking up market share from its two chief competitors, Chrome and Firefox. From our previous coverage:

Internet Explorer appears to have found new footing in the browser market, picking up market share in March, strengthening the notion that Microsoft is at last turning around its fortunes in the software niche. […]

My personal suspicion is that Microsoft is not converting Chrome and Firefox users to Internet Explorer 9, but is instead doing a better job retaining new Windows 7 purchasers’ browser custom. In other words, it may be that fewer people are snagging a new browser with their new PC, and are instead keeping IE9. That would account for the browser’s growth, especially on Windows 7.

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Interesting stuff, and now all those new IE9 users will have the patches they need. Not a bad way to kick off a Wednesday.