A Secure Browser

[Dch48]

***

A Secure Browser ... there is no such thing and never will be.

What one person can code, another person can break.


***

Absolutely correct and it is also true that presently, all the browsers are pretty equal, it's just a matter of personal choice (except for Chrome being by far the ugliest lol). I prefer IE8 because I like the interface, I prefer it's downloader over the others, and because my clean up utilities work better with it than with any of the others. People are free to choose and competition only makes all the products stronger and better.

[Admiralbutthead]

Thanks for all the info; now I have some reading to do.  I should have known that would have started a "discussion" of opinions on which is the best browser.  I should have said which is the most secure for the average user, which I know most of you guys that replied are not the average user.  I don't mind installing more security in my browser, as I will have to do with FF but the average user (at least the ones I know) will not be comfortable doing that.

I've been using Maxthon so long I don't recall what I used before that but I recall using several others in the distant past.  I have never had a problem with Maxthon until 10 days ago when something tried (I think Avast blocked at least part of it but it tried again as soon as I hit the buttons to cancel/close it) to install itself when I clicked on a link (but I was using an older version).  I immediately turned off the computer and pulled the HDD and installed my backup HDD...  I'm about ready to scan the original HDD and see what bug I got.

And I liked it's extra bells & whistles.  I thought for sure that MS would add those options to IE 7 or 8 but haven't explored IE 8 yet...  I am now using ATF cleaner.

[rdmaloyjr]

I think Opera "stands head & shoulders above" all other browsers in all aspects except the default skin is ugly & Firefox's Foxmarks is 110% better than Opera's bookmarks synchronizer, it's a disaster!

My favorite skin is Opera's "Bright".

[Dch48]

Have you seen Matt's (Mrizos) reviews of the browsers in regard to their ability to block malware? He didn't post one for Opera and when asked why, said that he had tested it, and it did so badly, that he thought posting a video of it would be useless.

[Sesame]

Thanks for all the info; now I have some reading to do.  I should have known that would have started a "discussion" of opinions on which is the best browser.  I should have said which is the most secure for the average user, which I know most of you guys that replied are not the average user.  I don't mind installing more security in my browser, as I will have to do with FF but the average user (at least the ones I know) will not be comfortable doing that.

I've been using Maxthon so long I don't recall what I used before that but I recall using several others in the distant past.  I have never had a problem with Maxthon until 10 days ago when something tried (I think Avast blocked at least part of it but it tried again as soon as I hit the buttons to cancel/close it) to install itself when I clicked on a link (but I was using an older version).  I immediately turned off the computer and pulled the HDD and installed my backup HDD...  I'm about ready to scan the original HDD and see what bug I got.

And I liked it's extra bells & whistles.  I thought for sure that MS would add those options to IE 7 or 8 but haven't explored IE 8 yet...  I am now using ATF cleaner.

Indeed, I've gotten an impression that you are more interested in knowledge about browsers rather than people arguing over what is the securest browsers.  Personally, I have my own choice and preference but here you have Secunia's advisories.

Vulnerability Report: Apple Safari 4.x
Vulnerability Report: Google Chrome 3.x
Vulnerability Report: Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x
Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.x
Vulnerability Report: Opera 9.x

So, according to secunia advisory, at the moment, Apple Safari and Google Chrome don't have known vulnerabilities and Opera 9 (I couldn't find Opera 10 info there) has a moderately critical vulnerability at the moment.  Firefox 3.5 and IE 8 has minor vulnerabilities but, according to Microsoft, there is a critical vulnerability in IE, which are going to be patched on this patch Tuesday as well as other critical/important vulnerability on wide range of their product.

At least, I could say it may not be wise to browse with IE till the critical vulnerability is patched.  Other than that, I think the comment below by CharleyO is the golden rule.

A Secure Browser ... there is no such thing and never will be.

What one person can code, another person can break.

At the end of the day, this is why we need to check out the latest information about security, not depending on the choice of our browsers.

[rdmaloyjr]

Vulnerability Report: Opera 10.x

[Dch48]

A browser's internal vulnerabilities to attack and it's ability to block malware that does other things are two different animals.

[Hermite15]

BBSpot report: 
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2005/01/microsoft_antispyware.html

[rdmaloyjr]

Have you seen Matt's (Mrizos) reviews of the browsers in regard to their ability to block malware? He didn't post one for Opera and when asked why, said that he had tested it, and it did so badly, that he thought posting a video of it would be useless.

I hope you don't believe everything you read.

[rdmaloyjr]

BBSpot report: 
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2005/01/microsoft_antispyware.html

Cute.

[Dch48]

Have you seen Matt's (Mrizos) reviews of the browsers in regard to their ability to block malware? He didn't post one for Opera and when asked why, said that he had tested it, and it did so badly, that he thought posting a video of it would be useless.

I hope you don't believe everything you read.

Of course not, but his tests are usually very well done and pretty thorough.

[rdmaloyjr]

I guess Opera didn't offer Mrizos any money.

PC Tools paid Matousec to test their firewall, so Matousec put it up against outdated brands of fw's so it would be on top.

Most recently Comodo paid Matousec to again test their fw and put it in a line up against outdated fw's so Comodo is now on top.

You can read about this in Wilders forums.  It was also mentioned in OA's forum, someone wanted to know why Matousec didn't do the tests with the latest version of OA.

[bob3160]

BBSpot report: 
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2005/01/microsoft_antispyware.html

"Wednesday, January 19"
Wow, ancient history. Are we digging in the archives now to find stuff
This isn't even Browser related   

[Hermite15]

BBSpot report: 
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2005/01/microsoft_antispyware.html

"Wednesday, January 19"
Wow, ancient history. Are we digging in the archives now to find stuff
This isn't even Browser related   

so what is it  and btw, a bit of humour Bob 

[Sesame]

Vulnerability Report: Opera 10.x

Where were my eyes?  I used Secunia Advisory Search and thought I could find nothing.  This time, I used both of google engine and the advisory search engine and both of them found it.