URL-Handling Protection

Historically, many browser-based attacks used intentionally malformed URLs to perform a buffer overflow attack and execute malicious code. Internet Explorer 7 benefits from these experiences and the analysis of attack signatures. Microsoft drastically reduced the internal attack surface of Internet Explorer 7 by rewriting certain sections of the code and by defining a single function to process URL data. This new data handler ensures higher reliability and provides better features and flexibility to address the changing nature of the Internet, URL formats, domain names, and international character sets.

Windows Defender

Extending the protections against malware at the browser level, Windows Defender helps prevent malware from entering the computer via a "piggyback" download, a common mechanism by which spyware is distributed and installed silently along with other applications. Although the improvements in Internet Explorer 7 cannot stop non-browser-based spyware from infecting the computer, using it with Windows Defender will provide a solid defense on several levels.