IE8's privacy mode leaks your private data

Information concealed by the InPrivateBrowsing feature of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8.0 can easily be recovered by forensic experts, a Dutch website has found.The InPrivate Browsing feature in Microsoft's latest browser is designed to delete a user's browsing history and other personal data that is gathered and stored during regular browsing sessions. The feature is commonly referred to as 'porn mode' for its ability to hide which websites have been visited from nosy spouses or employers.

Forensic experts however found it trivial to retrieve the history, according to a test by Webwereld.nl, an affiliate of PC Advisor in the Netherlands, and Fox IT, a Dutch firm specialising in IT security and forensic research."The privacy option in this beta is mainly cosmetic. For a forensic investigator, retrieving the browsing history should be regarded as peanuts," said Christian Prickaerts, forensic IT expert with Fox IT.