As we mentioned a couple months back, Microsoft will soon release IE7—the first update to the Internet Explorer browser in almost five years. Speculation on the street suggests that if all goes according to plan, IE7 will be available as part of Windows Vista in January.

Much like Vista, one of Microsoft’s biggest goals with IE7 is to enhance security features. The first of these features is to protect personal information. A new online filter service will advise users when websites might actually be phishing sites trying to steal confidential info.

Another neat IE7 security feature is the ability to clear internet history in one click. In previous versions, you needed to delete information in multiple locations to clear web browsing history. By clearing this history you are less vulnerable to security breaches.
Finally, IE7 helps to prevent spyware from sneaking onto your computer after downloading files or software.

IE7 will also incorporate other enhanced features such as tabbed browsing, advanced printing functionality, simpler access to RSS feeds and added language support.

To try out the beta version of IE7, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx