For those of you who use IE7, Microsoft has developed a new feature that indicates when you browse to a secure web site. If web sites host a certain type of security certificate, the IE7 address bar will turn green, thus indicating it is a safe place to browse. Hmm…. that sounds vaguely familiar. Can anyone say, Firefox?

Microsoft has quietly flipped the switch on a new feature in Internet Explorer 7 meant to combat phishing scams.

The software giant in early January made a change on its computer systems that allowed Web sites fitted with a new type of security certificate to display a green-filled address bar in IE 7, Markellos Diorinos, a product manager for Windows at Microsoft, said in an interview.

“We have rolled out many of the parts that are required to get it working. We’re coming close to the point where all the moving parts are in place,” Diorinos said. Microsoft plans to promote the green bar at next week’s RSA Conference in San Francisco, an annual security confab kicked off by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.[more]

Tags: Computer Protection