Should Businesses Replace Edge As Their Default Browser?

The web browser is where increasing amounts of business activities unfold—from searching for vital information online to utilizing essential cloud-based applications. Because the Windows operating system comes with Microsoft Edge as the default browser, many businesses rely on it for their day-to-day operations.

However, this raises an important question: Is Edge truly the optimal choice for your business needs? In this article, we explore whether replacing Edge with alternative browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox could enhance your company’s security and efficiency.

The Essential Qualities of a Good Web Browser

For any web browser to be worth using, it must be:

• Secure: Top of the list is security. A browser must provide robust protection against malware, phishing attacks, and other online threats that roam the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.
• Fast and responsive: Speed and efficiency are crucial. A browser that performs well doesn’t just load pages quickly; it handles multiple tabs and heavy web applications with ease.
• Standards-compliant: Adherence to web standards is vital. A standards-compliant browser guarantees that web pages and applications will display and function as intended.
• User-friendly: A good web browser should be easy to navigate, making it simple for users of all skill levels to find what they need quickly. This includes a clean, intuitive interface and features that enhance the overall browsing experience, such as tab management and bookmark organization.
• Customizable: The best web browsers are customizable and support third-party extensions that make it possible for their users to tailor their browsing experience to their specific needs.

Since 2020, Microsoft Edge has used the same exact foundation (Chromium) as the most popular web browser in the world: Google Chrome. This means that it adheres to the same web standards, offers a matching or better performance, supports the same extensions, and even has a similar user interface.

The most notable differences lie in the areas of security and privacy, aspects that are increasingly important for businesses. These differences, which we will explore in the next section, are crucial in determining whether Edge is the best fit for your business needs.

Is Microsoft Edge Secure and Trustworthy?

When it comes to web browsers, Microsoft’s legacy has been somewhat tarnished by the long shadow of Internet Explorer (IE). Launched in 1995, IE became synonymous with security vulnerabilities and outdated technology. Its persistent presence on Windows systems, even after its official retirement, has kept these issues in the spotlight.

However, Microsoft has learned valuable lessons from the challenges faced by Internet Explorer. With Edge, the company has prioritized security to rectify past mistakes.

In addition to the solid foundation provided by the Chromium codebase, Edge integrates a multitude of advanced security features to protect its users from a variety of online threats, including:

• Microsoft Defender Smartscreen: Protects users against phishing and malware websites, as well as blocks the download of potentially malicious files.
• Password Monitor: Edge’s Password Monitor scans the dark web to see if your saved passwords have been compromised. If it finds a match, it alerts you so you can change your password immediately.
• Password Generator: When creating a new account or changing an existing password, Edge generates a highly secure password, helping you fortify your online accounts.
• Password Health: Identifying if you’re using the same password across multiple websites, prompting you to change it for a strong, unique one.
• Edge Secure Network VPN: This VPN helps secure your network connection from online hackers when using a public Wi-Fi network and keeps your location private.
• Website Typo Protection: Microsoft Edge helps you avoid landing on malicious sites by warning you if you’ve mistyped a well-known site address.

Alongside these features, Microsoft regularly releases security patches for Edge to promptly address any newly discovered vulnerabilities so that Edge remains resilient against emerging online threats.

The only area where Edge really deserves criticism is its less-than-ideal approach to user privacy. This April, it was discovered that Edge was sending URLs visited by users to its Bing API website. Upon investigation, it was found that this issue stemmed from a poorly implemented new feature in Edge, intended to notify Bing when users visit certain pages, like YouTube or Reddit. Microsoft acknowledged the problem promptly, but the damage to its reputation was already done.

Is this alone a reason to replace Edge as the default web browser? Not really since mishaps like this one can occur with any web browser. Instead of switching, Edge users should disable all features they don’t need, such as the “Show suggestions to follow creators in Microsoft Edge” feature (found in Settings -> Privacy, Search and Services -> Services), which was responsible for sending URLs to Bing.

Conclusion on Replacing Browser

Microsoft Edge, unlike Internet Explorer, its dishonorable ancestor, represents a significant leap forward in terms of performance, usability, and security. This modern browser, based on the Chromium project (also used by Google Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and others), not only matches the standards of other leading browsers but in many ways surpasses them. That’s why businesses that use the Windows operating system have no significant reason to abandon it in favor of other browsers.

Contact us to discuss your business’s technology and security systems: