Windows Internet Explorer 8

I have seen a growing trend of late with individuals installing the Beta version and being under the impression this will increase online security.

This is not the case what so ever and unless you know exactly what you are doing and actually have a specific test machine the most likely outcome is a system conflict. Worse case scenarios could be a severe Malware infestation and or your computer turns into little more than a expensive door stop!

IE8 RC1 advice from Microsoft themselves:

Release candidate software is at a stage in the development process where it is ready to be evaluated by users while it undergoes final testing.
Internet Explorer 8 RC1 is now platform and feature complete and this is your opportunity to be among the first to try out the new browser before its final release. Install it today and take it for a test drive. We think you'll agree that it's faster, safer, and easier to use than ever. If you don't like it you can easily uninstall it whenever you want. Uninstall instructions can be found at our support page for Internet Explorer 8 RC1.
To ensure your browser is up to date, all RC1 users will be automatically updated with the final version of Internet Explorer 8 via Windows Update so you'll always have the latest version of the browser.
We understand if you feel uncomfortable installing release candidate software. Check this website in the coming months to see when the final version of Internet Explorer 8 is available.

The above is ambiguous at best and my advice do not install this at all until it has been fully tested and released via Microsoft Update.