What Does That Mean to Me?
DIGITAL BANKING | NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | TIM DIVELY
Over the last couple of years, there has been talk about Microsoft Windows default browser Internet Explorer “going away.” Well, here we are in the midst of a pandemic and Internet Explorer has remained safe! That’s about to change, so I wanted to let you know what this might mean for you, your business, and your family.
As we become more reliant on web-based solutions to do nearly everything, we need to utilize a web browser to navigate all these different systems. The most common browsers are Internet Explorer, Safari (Apple/Mac OS), Chrome, and Edge. Many people don’t know what browser they use until something doesn’t work and the “techy” they call about fixing the issue asks that dreaded question! So, you stare at your screen hoping the answer will pop out and scream what browser it is.
You are not alone in your lack of browser knowledge. What you most care about is how you can get back to working as soon as possible. Before I get to some specific impacts you may see in the coming months with the Internet Explorer end of life and end of support, I want to walk you through foundational ideas around end of life/end of support (I won’t be offended if you skip past the next two paragraphs for the true impacts of IE end of life/end of support and what you should do).
Application End of Life: Security is paramount in any application, and that is achieved through patching and software updates. As a browser gets older and older, it takes more and more to keep it secure. Writing patches over an extended period is often riskier & costlier than coming up with a new version or platform altogether. At some point, the cost of keeping a legacy app up to date exceeds the decision to retire it. At an application’s end of life, it will no longer be built into a system or available for download.
Application End of Support: This is probably the most impactful and frustrating situation. End of Support follows the same thought process in that the cost of keeping something up to date outweighs replacing it with a new version or new platform altogether. When an application reaches end of support, it doesn’t mean that it will be removed from your system, it simply means if something goes wrong, they won’t help you figure out what the problem is. Things change in real-time on internet hosted sites, so something may work one minute and fail the next. One site might work perfectly fine, while another gives you an error. This is why I wanted to help you on the end of life and end of support of Internet Explorer in an attempt to minimize your frustration.
My advice between now and January 1, 2021, is to first find out what browser you are using. If you are using Internet Explorer, please start using Chrome or Edge. If you identify your default browser is Internet Explorer, you’ll want to do the following:
- Change your default browser to Chrome or Edge
- Move over your Favorites from Internet Explorer to your new browser
- Check out your desktop and see if you have any shortcuts that you have there that have the Internet Explorer logo (if you switch your default browser you should be set!)
If you have an Apple/Mac computer, you likely are using Chrome or Safari so you won’t be impacted by this particular end of life/end of support situation. If you use the Bank Peoples app on your tablet or your phone, you also don’t need to worry about the loss of functionality!
Our Bank Peoples Online Banking suite maximizes the security features in the current releases of most supported browsers, so we don’t know the functionality hiccups that might occur should you continue to use Internet Explorer after end of life/end of support. While you may be able to function with your online banking after end of life/end of support, you run a risk to yourself and those you electronically communicate with, as your browser isn’t being patched anymore. When our Online Banking platform becomes incompatible with Internet Explorer, we will try to prompt you with a message indicating that you are using an incompatible and out of date browser and we may prevent you from continuing.
I hope you found this information valuable and I am intending on writing on a relevant topic at least once a month. Feel free to reach out to me directly at 715-847-4035 or tim.dively@bankpeoples.com. For any other general questions feel free to call our Call Center at 715-842-2191 or 888-929-9902, send an email to customerservice@bankpeoples.com, or connect to us through Banno Conversations within the BankPeoples app or in online banking by clicking on the Message button. If you are a business using our Cash Management platform, please feel free to contact treasurymanagement@bankpeoples.com.
Tim Dively
Vice President, Chief Technology & Operating Officer
Experienced banking executive responsible for deposit ops, eBanking, loan servicing, & booking, infrastructure, technology (IT & Business Systems), cyber-security, customer solution center, facilities, and people leadership. I have been able to apply my skill set, education and experience to help our organization grow and remain relevant in the market place.
Vice President, Chief Technology & Operating Officer
Experienced banking executive responsible for deposit ops, eBanking, loan servicing, & booking, infrastructure, technology (IT & Business Systems), cyber-security, customer solution center, facilities, and people leadership. I have been able to apply my skill set, education and experience to help our organization grow and remain relevant in the market place.