News Flash: No Browser is Safe!
Symantec also observes that water is wet, fire is warm, and that a brick is hard
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 by Zoomba | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Ok, everyone takes it as generally accepted fact that Internet Explorer under Windows has a track record of being horribly insecure unless the user takes steps to tweak security settings, install pop-up blockers, bog their system down with AntiVirus, and run regular sweeps of the system to make sure nothing nefarious ever makes it through. But then there's the rest of the computing population that has turned their noses up in contempt and gone off to use Firefox and Opera under Windows. A few have taken it a step further and even ditched Windows completely in favor of Linux or MacOS with their respective browsers. We think ourselves safe, secure and more or less untouchable by those vile malware and spyware coders, those hackers of ill-repute who are determined to hijack our computers via our own web surfing.
However, according to Symantec Corporation, a company with absolutely no vested interest in this issue at all, it is merely a placebo, a lie we tell ourselves to feel better. We are in fact no more safe using these alternatives and still are in dire need of their help and software to secure our systems from Mr. Hacker.
Symantecs' yearly Internet Security Threat Report documents the relative security of browsers such as IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari. In the grand Firefox/IE debate, Symantec says that while IE compromises account for 47% of all attacks, Firefox actually clocked more reported vulnerabilities in the first half of this year than IE (47 versus 38 for IE). It paints a picture where the perceived insecurity of IE and strongbox reputation of Firefox is more a result of volume of users as opposed to inherent security of the code.
For more analysis of the report, check the BetaNews article linked below.
I think Symantec wins the "Obvious Observation" award today for their stunning revelation that all browsers have vulnerabilities.
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Reply #22 Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:59 AM
Since ditching NIS about a year ago, I've had a much happier and speedier computing experience with few if any problems. I still get the odd tracking cookie and a bot here and there, which are easily dealt with by Adaware and/or Spybot, but I'm not plagued with false positives and the non-existent intrusion attempts NIS constantly threw at me. Since switching to Avast, which is free and has a much smaller footprint than Norton, I've had a much happier and more efficient machine...so they've got a snowball's chance in Hell of getting me back as a Symantec consumer.
Trouble is, Symantec seems to be buying up other PC protection companies, and now one has to wonder where their AV products/support are coming from. Not too sure now, but I think it was AVG's site that closed a part or all of its online support centre when I was transferred to Symantec for info on updates, etc. I also got an email which suggests Symantec has acquired a major interest in CA Associates EzTrust Internet Security...although the email was from CA Associates, the main body of the message repeatedy referred to Symantec's ongoing efforts with gov'ts & ISP's to reduce PC attacks.
It's really worrying, that if Symantec continues to dominate the Internet Security market and eventually manages to buy out the other players, we'll have no choice. Perhaps that a matter the anti-trust people should be looking into....yeah, that mob Symantec keeps running to about MS and anyone else who looks like cornering some percentage of the PC security market.
| Nothin is safe anymore...its them damn Symantec terrorists I tell ya! |
Okay, so I slightly altered it.
Reply #23 Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:47 PM
ms should bomb the sobs! teach them that you can't mess with a world power....
Reply #24 Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:56 PM
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Reply #21 Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:42 AM