Tech: Browser comparisons - DoH & security

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: David E
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 12:33 AM

To "bobad"...Thank you so much! Easy to download and easy to use! This is gonna be great fun...

David E.

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 11:09 PM

well...as those who have seen my posts for years might guess, I 'have' almost all of the browsers.

To me, security is 98% what firewalls & Anti-virus..plus anti-malware programs one has. (and of course, avoiding bad web sites)

I use Opera (in 3 different versions) maybe 70% of the time, and Firefox 28%. I am also watching the development of Google Chrome (not impressed so far) and SeaMonkey...which is Firefox on steroids with email and newsgroups and RSS feeds all built in. SeaMonkey will use all the Firefox add-ons. (and I have two other odd little browsers which are small & fast- K-Meleon & "Off-by-One". They do most stuff ok, I just forget to look at them.)

Now.... Firefox is the one I keep set to do YouTube, my bank, my HMO...etc....and Mudcat, if I happen to want to look when I have Firefox open. The thing is, so many sites want to use javascripts and pop-ups..etc, that I keep Opera set to refuse such things and refuse ads. It's easier to open Firefox than to make Opera 'open' to them all.

Like Jeri, I have all the AV & firewalls up to date, and have only had maybe 2 virus warnings in several years. Also like Jeri, I do love Firefox for its flexibility in what you can train it to do, but I MUCH prefer Opera for the particular sorts of internal navigation I do (forward, back, switch between tabs, move between clickable links on a page, and a couple other things .. are all done with keys 1,2,Q,W,A,Z right by my left hand. I can also hide ANY of my toolbars in Opera with one click by a special javascript addition.
That being said, if Firefox added those tricks, I'd be 95% in Firefox.

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 10:54 PM

I don't know about vulnerabilities, but it sure seems to me that Google Chrome is by far the fastest browser I've seen. It has a number of features that I like very much.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: bobad
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 10:42 PM

Check this out: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: David E
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 10:09 PM

I use Firefox because the browser, visually, is less cluttered than what I used previously, though it seems to take longer to load. Probably me. But what I really want to know, as mentioned above, how can I download videos from You Tube?

David E.

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: artbrooks
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 10:08 PM

I use Firefox exclusively. Perhaps, at least according to that article, it is buggy but I have never had a virus. It has (as a free add-on) a very effective ad blocker (I don't even see the ones Max lets on Mudcat) and a single-button instant-on IE emulator for the occasional wierd site that is IE-specific.

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: Gurney
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 09:37 PM

I've used Opera for years, since I first had trouble with an I.E. update, but I also have Firefox and I.E. on board. Just in case.

The only complaint that I have with Opera is that they have just included a spell-checker with the usual 'underline' warning, and it doesn't know anywhere near as many words as I do.
I believe Opera is Scandiwegian in origin, perhaps that's why.

Subject: RE: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 05:26 PM

I love Firefox. Granted, I'm not a techie or even a surfaholic, but I love Firefox. Wanna buy it dinner and maybe even propose. (It's the most action I'm gonna see!)

If I can't remember the whole name of a thread or ANY web page I've been to and don't want to type it into a search engine, I can put part of the name in the address window, and Firefox pops up a list of pages with that word in the title. I can have a gazillion windows open at the same time. I can download videos from YouTube and probably most other places.

I also have a couple firewalls, a couple anti-spyware programs and an anti-virus program, and they all update automatically except the anti-spyware programs. Best way to go for me, because malware is all over and it's always being tweaked if it's not simply new, and I have no ability to remember when I last updated.

Subject: Tech: Browser comparisons
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 05:14 PM

A newsletter from PC Advisor, a UK based magazine, links a recent article about a report by Censic on vulnerabilities in browsers. Censic is a "security systems" provider specializing mostly in enterprise/corporate system security.

The article, which may be of some interest to some of us, is at Firefox accounts for half of all browser bugs

The "headline" is obviously intended to startle people into reading; but information in the article is of some interest.

[quotes]

November 10, 2009

Firefox accounts for half of all browser bugs
Report says Firefox is more vulnerable than IE

Gregg Keizer

Firefox accounted for almost half of all browser vulnerabilities in the first six months of 2009, according to Cenzic.
The web security company claims Mozilla's browser had the largest percentage of web vulnerabilities over the six-month span, while Apple's Safari had the dubious distinction of coming in second. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) was third, while Opera Software's flagship browser took fourth place.

... ...

Firefox accounted for 44% of all browser bugs reported in the first half of the year, said Ewe, while Safari vulnerabilities came to 35% of the total. IE, meanwhile, accounted for 15%, while 6% of all the flaws were in Opera.

... ...

Data from web metrics company Net Applications puts IE as the most-used browser, with about 65% of the market, followed by Firefox with 24%, Safari with 4.4%, Google's Chrome with 3.6% and Opera with 2.2%.

[end quotes]

It's unfortunate that the Censic survey didn't assess how critical the vulnerabilities were; and a Censic spokesman offered the opinion that the results don't mean anyone needs to change browsers because of it. (The Censic spokesman says he uses Firefox and doesn't intend to change.)

The important point is that all browsers (and Operating Systems) are vulnerable and it is necessary - regardless of which you choose to use - to keep your browser up to date as its vulnerabilities are closed, and to have good AV and other protections in place while you practice "safe surfing."

The full Censic report can be downloaded (pdf) at AppSecTrends_Q1-Q2-2009, but probably won't be too interesting except to those with real technical concerns. The PC Advisor article (link at top) will be of more general inteest.

John