Last month we reported that, while the French and German governments advised their citizens to stop using the Internet Explorer 6 browser, the British Government didn't think the software - which dates from 2001 - posed such a significant security threat.
That may be starting to change - the Department of Health has advised NHS trusts running Windows 2000 or XP to adopt version 7 of the browser. Official guidance says that IE7 provides extra security whilst being compatible with NHS software called Spine.
The health service move comes only days after search giant Google announced that it would no longer support IE6. From 1st March, certain services - such as Google Docs - will no longer work with the older browser.
However, many UK Government departments still rely on IE6 and, although the Cabinet Office has issued an advisory notice on how to deal with the browser, there are no further plans to abandon it.
If you are one of the 20% of internet users who continues to use Internet Explorer 6, we recommend you upgrade to the latest version - IE 8. You might also want to try an alternative browser, such as Firefox, Safari or Chrome.
Similarly, if you are a business owner, you need to make sure that your website is compatible with as many modern browsers as possible. Speak to our web design agency if you would like further advice.
