The recent changes to Microsoft Edge ended its instant compatibility with Adobe Flash. Ardent users of new Microsoft Windows systems are worried and unhappy with the changes, wondering what they are really about. If you are one of these business owners or internet users, let’s unravel this mystery for you.
The new Edge Flash
Microsoft is hoping to compete with Google’s Chrome browser and to do that, they had to change how Adobe Flash works on the Edge browser. Previously Adobe Flash plugins would play and load whenever a person visits a site but with the changes, the application will be prevented from doing so.
Upon visiting a website, users will see an alert near the address bar informing them that Adobe Flash has been obstructed, prompting them to decide whether to run the plug-in or block it. Businesses that use Adobe Flash on all their site might find this inconveniencing because its users have to take another step if they want to access the website and some visitors may not be patient enough.
Microsoft has valid reasons for effecting these changes, however, inconvenient they may be for some. Many people have been hacked in the past year through Adobe Flash, revealing that unfortunately, this important app is easily hackable. There is enough proof from ransomware attacks of 2016 that many cyber criminals used the application as their gateway to several computers to gain control over vital data. The business world has been a favorite target of ransomware attacks in the past and the criminals don’t seem to be relenting. Attackers have managed to hold hospitals, train stations, and other government at ransom over data but that is not about to stop. Considering that most of the big attackers were launched through Adobe Flash, business owners should take the changes as a welcome gift. Cyber criminals have expensive demands that range from money to strange instructions like participating in criminal activity to get back control over your data. Only recently a virus was discovered that asked people to pass on ransomware to avoid paying the ransom.
Besides exposing businesses to unforgiving cyber criminals, Adobe Flash quickly drains the battery life of PCs, Smartphones, and other devices. It is evident that more advanced, safer systems are coming in to replace AdobeFlash but for now, only Insider users have access to the updates. Microsoft announced that the updates will soon go global so that they are accessible by all users. They even plan to load HTML5 web information without loading any Adobe Flash content first.
Countless sites rely on Adobe Flash meaning that website content must be heavily changed to suit these changes. It is alright to be worried but don’t let that stop you from taking action. Reach us for assistance in optimizing your site’s usability without distressing your users. Security is very important for business people but the fast pace at which things are changing means that you might not have all the information needed for optimum protection. We will also inform you about other changes so that you are well prepared for Adobe Flash changes after the updates to Microsoft Edge go live.
LuminIT