NSS Labs (nsslabs.com) is the world’s leading expert in security and related advice. They recently made the statement that Internet Explorer 8 is the safest browser because it’s the best at blocking socially engineered malware. Malware is a word meaning malicious software; it’s there to do damage and exploit.
However, there are those who disagree, and they’re reliable. A W3school Web browser survey reports that IE6 is still being used by over 14% of all web users polled, saying that people stick with programs they know and like, no matter how unsafe they may be. IE6 is famous for its insecurity and even Microsoft will say to ditch it.
IE7 and IE8 are greatly affected by the Koobface and other viruses from social websites. Koobface infects the computer and makes several copies of itself, then it goes for the user’s friends lists so it can infect and populate in all those computers, too. Millions of users have been affected in one way or another by social site viruses.
Which is the Safest Browser?
Dancho Danchev, independent security consultant, tells us that of all the files and computers attacked by Koobface, the largest number are Internet Explorer users.
Terrence O’Brien of Switched.com reports that at a recent CanSecWest conference, world-renowned hackers were given carte blanch by software companies to hack their browser software. Firefox and Internet Explorer were hacked ruthlessly, but, not as bad as Apple’s Safari, who took a kicking as the most popular target.
But not Google Chrome. It’s because Chrome doesn’t interact with the computer itself, and it’s just not as fun. Chrome was largely left alone by the hackers because not only did they have to find a vulnerability in the browser, but they also had to find a vulnerability in the computer itself before there was anything to exploit.
For now, at least, Google Chrome is at the top of the heap. One Chrome user said, “It’s the fastest browser, hands down.”