Microsoft may hope its users start to transition to Internet Explorer version 11, as the company ends support for older versions of the browser as of January 12, but the task of convincing users will be an uphill battle —particularly for small business owners.
A study of web traffic conducted by Manta, a small business directory and search engine, found that 34% of small business owners use Internet Explorer, almost as many as Chrome (37 percent of small business owners use Chrome).
Meanwhile, these older versions of Internet Explorer remain staggeringly popular. Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of small business owners using Internet Explorer continue to use the versions that Microsoft no longer supports, IE version 10 or older.
At a House Small Business Committee hearing in April, industry professional discussed the lack of awareness of cyber hygiene among small business owners. Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) said the most cyberattacks occur at small businesses. “In fact, 71 percent of cyberattacks occur at businesses with fewer than 100 employees,” he said in a statement. “This technology – and our behavior with it – is the underpinning of our modern economy and the foundation for our future.
Earlier this month, the House Small Business Committee discussed a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that the Small Business Administration (SBA) failed to act on 62 out of 69 recommendations made by the GAO, including 30 information security recommendations.
