Browser Wars - a security perspective

OK, here I go again, promoting Microsoft.  Gosh, I just be in their back pocket, or stupid, or something, eh?  Everyone knows that Firefox is better than IE, and Safari is the best browser around, and Chrome is going to kick Microsoft's butt, and Opera, well, it's just the best.

And everyone knows that Internet Explorer is buggy, and full of security holes, and, well, just stupid, as is anyone who uses it, right?

Not so fast!  What about facts?  I like facts.  Facts are stubborn things, as someone once said, and that's true.  They are often inconvenient, too, when they fly in the face of what people feel, or want, or believe.  Feeling and wanting and believing are great things - most of the world runs on those and they are valuable and important.

However, when assessing technology, facts are just so good to have.

Here are some:

http://nsslabs.com/test-reports/Q309_Browser_Security_Summary_Final.pdf

The net of this.  Internet Explorer isn't all that bad.  In fact, it's better than the others in two key areas that are central to security in today's world.  Read, if you like facts.  It's only one page!

If you want to see the full reports, they're here:

http://nsslabs.com/browser-security

Update on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 9:47AM by Don Ferguson

This topic comes up often. In the three years since the original post on this topic, IE appears to have gotten stronger, and Firefix weaker. Chrome and Safari are in about the same shape they have always been: erratic and weak, respectively.

See the original post for an overview, and this graphic for a sample of what's what as of September, 2012.

More detail here: https://www.nsslabs.com/system/files/content/report/files/2012_AB_Is-Your-Browser-Putting-You-At-Risk_0.pdf

Norton Internet Security 2009

I've discussed with most of my clients how much of an improvement NIS 2009 is over its predecessors.  I've also said time and again that with a properly configured Norton Internet Security program in place, NOT ONE virus or other attack has gotten through and done damage to any of my machines or any machine of any client - that's hundreds of computers over many years with not one incident of a virus or other infection.  This has been the case for over 5 years now, and this article in PC Magazine just reinforces what I and my clients have experienced:  NIS is the best security suite around.  I've also discussed with many folks the fact that one of the key reasons NIS is so powerful is that Symantec bought the entire antivirus research and operation of the IBM Watson Research Center - picking up some very powerful antivirus technology to wed with their already-superior user interface.  It just keeps improving every year:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2333448,00.asp

New in the 2009 version is an almost eery 2-minute install time and almost completly invisible operation.   In addition, the spyware protection in the new version is good enough that I'm gradually discontinuing the use of Spysweeper (which is really a huge resource hog) for additional spyware protection on all but the most spyware susceptible machines.  Yes, you have to pay me to know what that means!

For my clients I can download and install this new version as a free, in-place upgrade to NIS 2007 or 2008 (continuing the license term of either of those products) or as a new installation - remembering that one license serves up to 3 PCs.

If you are interested, take a look at the PC Magazine article - the best just keeps on getting better.