Just a reminder, this /is/ HN. "[using IE8 or earlier] ... incredibly safe and a good idea" -- them's fightin' words. Now, I'm not going to say that diversity i

Just a reminder, this /is/ HN. "[using IE8 or earlier] ... incredibly safe and a good idea" -- them's fightin' words. Now, I'm not going to say that diversity isn't a bad thing, but I will say that diversification using older browsers and ActiveX controls where everyone is forced to use the same browser and so is not actually diverse at all ... well, that's where things go south. If most people set their default browser to non-IE and as a consequence are forced to type in their bank's URL directly rather than click a link to get there, fine. If most people choose, unwisely, not to do so, then they're more vulnerable to phishing attacks that additionally might add malware. If most people are required to use Windows, and therefore cannot use Mac or Linux under the current implementations, then again that restriction on diversity is bad for the self-defence of the system as a whole. Finally, what you're really getting at is "use Incognito tabs for banking," as those by default don't load plugins that can sniff or execute on pages nor retain cookies for later CSRF. Sadly, safety is a moving target and browsers and OSes have moved on since late 1990s.