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i feel that in terms of security and popups and such it is pretty darn good compared to IE
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I am not trying to stir up arguments over which is better, and I am not accusing anyone of fear mongering or Microsoft bashing. The above statement from
this thread just reminded me of many heated discussions I have had with several recognized IT security experts, other colleagues and many experienced users who INSISTED everyone
must switch to Firefox because Internet Explorer was so unsafe and Firefox was so much more secure.
I was able to stop
every one of those heated discussions dead in their tracks by asking the following simple question of those pundits:
"How many of you STOPPED being infected and compromised when you switched to Firefox?"
My point? Virtually EVERY exploitable vulnerability in Internet Explorer, Windows, or even Firefox (which has several too) can ONLY be exploited by bad guys
if the user fails to consistently
practice safe computing in a disciplined manner. Yes, there are rare cases of an exploitable vulnerability even in a fully protected system. But, there are so many factors and unusual circumstances that must line up precisely to expose it, and then exploit it, that it is not worth the time or effort for the bad guy. Bad guys go for the easy pickings, and move on.
What does
practice safe computing mean? It means,
- You keep your systems:
- Patched (SP2 for XP) and updated, including critical updates, current versions (such as IE7), and the latest signature/definition files,
- Scanned with current anti-malware (anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-Trojan, etc.) scanners,
- Blocked with a current firewall, spam blocker, and pop-up blocker,
- You never open attachments or downloads without scanning for malware first,
- You never click on links in spam to "unsubscribe from this list", and
- You stay away from sites your grandmother would disapprove of (porn, illegal P2P, gambling, etc.).
If you switch to Firefox or another alternative browser, can you stop practicing safe computing? Of course not.
If you follow the above steps, the chances of your system being compromised are reduced to near zero, regardless if you use Firefox, Opera, IE, Safari, or something else.
Of course, even the Mozilla Firefox developers admit that no browser is 100% safe. Bad guys
are discovering, and attempting to exploit, new found vulnerabilities in alternative browsers too. And as the alternatives to IE become more popular, bad guys will continue to turn more of their focus on them.
So the fact remains,
if you connect to the Internet, you will encounter risks. Everyone must be diligent and
responsible "netizens" by practicing safe computing.
If you are unsure, or don't know how to accomplish those practice safe computing tasks, ask. If you do know how, teach!
Finally, let's be certain to place blame where it belongs; on the bad guys!