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I work on a SaaS app in the healthcare space where IE11 is the preferred browser, and was getting worried watching all of our favorite tools begin to completely

I work on a SaaS app in the healthcare space where IE11 is the preferred browser, and was getting worried watching all of our favorite tools begin to completely drop IE11 support (Tailwinds, Bootstrap) - effectively punishing us for the sins our customers IT orgs. This brings me hope. But only a little. I’m sure they’ll find a way to keep running it.

mrweasel 5y ago
>in the healthcare space where IE11 is the preferred browser Do you know why that is? I noticed that there are prominent links to a Korean and Japanese version, presumably because Internet Explorer is still used to a large extend in those two countries. Korea had some crypto stuff that only worked in IE, but that was years ago. Why haven't those markets moved on more modern browsers?
- otterpro 5y ago
  I worked at a hospital about 10 years ago, and at that time only IE was available on our PC. PC workstation was locked down for security reason and users were not allowed to install 3rd party software without approval (including chrome, etc). Also Chrome's browser extensions were security concerns (esp for medical records, HIPPA regulations, etc) It was also a time when IE was used in enterprise for mostly legacy web app that was written long ago. We were also using command line apps (TUI-based) at that time, mostly for nurse and doctors, but we were migrating to the fancy web apps. As for Korea, IE was mostly for ActiveX, but now most Korean website supports modern browsers ie Chrome.
  - ampdepolymerase 5y ago
    Do modern healthcare TUIs support UTF-8?
  - ocdtrekkie 5y ago
    > users were not allowed to install 3rd party software without approval (including chrome, etc) This should be, and always should be, the case. Chrome is such a bad actor in allowing userspace install, we mark it as malware to prohibit unauthorized installation. Chrome Enterprise policies don't seem to be able to disable this, marking it as malware is the only way out... That said, we offer two modern browsers to everyone in our environment, Edge and Firefox.
- wrs 5y ago
  Same as anywhere else, I suppose: because changing it costs time/money and has no obvious value. In regulated areas like health care there can also be a recertification or audit support cost if you change something.
axelthegerman 5y ago
Only hope is more and more services actually having the balls to drop IE11, e.g. Office 365. Imagine Google would not support IE11, I'm sure the pressure to upgrade these browser would be much higher (not sure about the health care space though)
- nicoburns 5y ago
  This announcement is a much better hope: IE11 being replaced by edge, which will also have a modern rendering engine, which will be only one anyone needs to support.
ehutch79 5y ago
Isn't IE11 support a potential HIPPA violation?
- Ensorceled 5y ago
  How? Like, what part of HIPPA do you think applies to the browser the app is running in?
- Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
  *HIPAA Also...no? Why would it be?
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  > Isn't IE11 support a potential HIPPA violation? To the extent (if any, though I'd be surprised if there were none) IE11 doesn’t support standards required effectively, if indirectly, via the HITECH guidance on secured PHI, IE11 use could have some some adverse consequences under HIPAA (and, as a SaaS operator with a BAA that would include the vendor, not just the customer), but not in and of itself noncompliance for use or support. Mostly just making it more likely that situations would become reportable breaches.

mrweasel 5y ago

>in the healthcare space where IE11 is the preferred browser Do you know why that is? I noticed that there are prominent links to a Korean and Japanese version, presumably because Internet Explorer is still used to a large extend in those two countries. Korea had some crypto stuff that only worked in IE, but that was years ago. Why haven't those markets moved on more modern browsers?

otterpro 5y ago
I worked at a hospital about 10 years ago, and at that time only IE was available on our PC. PC workstation was locked down for security reason and users were not allowed to install 3rd party software without approval (including chrome, etc). Also Chrome's browser extensions were security concerns (esp for medical records, HIPPA regulations, etc) It was also a time when IE was used in enterprise for mostly legacy web app that was written long ago. We were also using command line apps (TUI-based) at that time, mostly for nurse and doctors, but we were migrating to the fancy web apps. As for Korea, IE was mostly for ActiveX, but now most Korean website supports modern browsers ie Chrome.
- ampdepolymerase 5y ago
  Do modern healthcare TUIs support UTF-8?
- ocdtrekkie 5y ago
  > users were not allowed to install 3rd party software without approval (including chrome, etc) This should be, and always should be, the case. Chrome is such a bad actor in allowing userspace install, we mark it as malware to prohibit unauthorized installation. Chrome Enterprise policies don't seem to be able to disable this, marking it as malware is the only way out... That said, we offer two modern browsers to everyone in our environment, Edge and Firefox.
wrs 5y ago
Same as anywhere else, I suppose: because changing it costs time/money and has no obvious value. In regulated areas like health care there can also be a recertification or audit support cost if you change something.

axelthegerman 5y ago

Only hope is more and more services actually having the balls to drop IE11, e.g. Office 365. Imagine Google would not support IE11, I'm sure the pressure to upgrade these browser would be much higher (not sure about the health care space though)

nicoburns 5y ago
This announcement is a much better hope: IE11 being replaced by edge, which will also have a modern rendering engine, which will be only one anyone needs to support.

ehutch79 5y ago

Isn't IE11 support a potential HIPPA violation?

Ensorceled 5y ago
How? Like, what part of HIPPA do you think applies to the browser the app is running in?
Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
*HIPAA Also...no? Why would it be?
dragonwriter 5y ago
> Isn't IE11 support a potential HIPPA violation? To the extent (if any, though I'd be surprised if there were none) IE11 doesn’t support standards required effectively, if indirectly, via the HITECH guidance on secured PHI, IE11 use could have some some adverse consequences under HIPAA (and, as a SaaS operator with a BAA that would include the vendor, not just the customer), but not in and of itself noncompliance for use or support. Mostly just making it more likely that situations would become reportable breaches.