{"id":65625,"date":"2014-04-29T21:31:51","date_gmt":"2014-04-29T19:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onsoftware.en.softonic.com\/?p=65625"},"modified":"2025-07-02T00:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:43:28","slug":"combat-internet-explorer-security-vulnerability-with-emet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/combat-internet-explorer-security-vulnerability-with-emet\/","title":{"rendered":"Combat Internet Explorer security vulnerability with EMET"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s a free app\u00a0from Microsoft that monitors programs so that no\u00a0existing or future viruses is able to infect your PC.<\/p>\n

Microsoft EMET<\/a> (Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit)\u00a0is a service that prevents viruses from exploiting vulnerabilities<\/strong> which would enable them to\u00a0take control of your\u00a0computer. To be able to do this, EMET blocks or diverts the type of actions\u00a0commonly used by malware\u00a0in web browsers and other programs.<\/p>\n

Installation of EMET is quick and immediately protects you from unknown vulnerabilities in\u00a0Internet Explorer, Office, and other applications. Although it’s a powerful and\u00a0highly technical tool, using it\u00a0is simple.<\/p>\n

In this article, I’ll take you through how to install and configure EMET<\/strong> on Windows.<\/p>\n

1. Install\u00a0.NET Framework 4.0<\/h3>\n

To work properly, EMET\u00a0requires .NET Framework 4.0<\/a> library. Install it before installing EMET\u00a0by clicking here<\/a>. The installation wizard makes it super easy.<\/p>\n

\"Microsoft<\/p>\n

2. Install\u00a0EMET 4.1 with the recommended configuration<\/h3>\n

Now that you’ve installed\u00a0.NET Framework 4.0, you can download EMET<\/a> and start the installation. The most important step is choosing\u00a0the recommended settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Enhanced<\/p>\n

This configuration is what allows\u00a0EMET to protect the most vulnerable programs, like\u00a0Internet Explorer, Office, Acrobat Reader, and Java, <\/strong>without messing around with\u00a0the options.<\/p>\n

3. Check that EMET is working<\/h3>\n

Once you’ve installed EMET, it opens in a new window. You’ll see a list of buttons and processes, as seen\u00a0in the image below.<\/p>\n

\"Enhanced<\/p>\n

Open Internet Explorer<\/strong> and then return\u00a0to the EMET\u00a0window. Search for IEXPLORE<\/em> in the list of running processes.<\/p>\n

\"Search<\/p>\n

The green icon<\/strong> indicates that the program is being protected by the\u00a0EMET “cage.” As it’s a\u00a0recognized and compatible application by default, you shouldn’t\u00a0notice any difference in use.<\/p>\n

4. Add other options to EMET [Optional]<\/h3>\n

If you want to protect other applications<\/strong> with EMET, you can add them easily through the application window.<\/p>\n

First, click the Apps<\/em> button.<\/p>\n

\"Protect<\/p>\n

In the window that opens, click on the green button to add a new application<\/strong>.\"Protect<\/p>\n

Browse your hard drive to find the executable file<\/strong> and accept. In this case, it’s Chrome.\"Protect<\/p>\n

By default, each new application is added with all possible protections.<\/p>\n

If you saw that the application had stopped running<\/strong>, uncheck the boxes one by one to test which one it is, or deactivate\u00a0all protections at once by right clicking on the process.<\/p>\n

\"Protect<\/p>\n

You can access EMET\u00a0at any time from the system tray <\/strong>or the Start menu.<\/p>\n

\"Access<\/p>\n

EMET protects\u00a0Windows better than an antivirus<\/h3>\n

When it’s correctly\u00a0used and configured, EMET can protect Windows and above all,\u00a0Windows XP – against malware that most antiviruses have traditionally been unable to handle, such\u00a0as the police virus (REVETON) or the hijacker virus\u00a0Cryptolocker<\/a>. If you’re using XP, install it immediately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two interesting alternatives<\/strong> to EMET are Sandboxie<\/a>, and the sandbox mode from avast!<\/a>.\u00a0In both cases, these are environments in which you can run suspicious or dangerous applications without anything happening that can affect your equipment. Having said all this, EMET still has the advantage <\/strong>of being fully integrated with Windows.<\/p>\n

RELATED ARTICLES:<\/p>\n