There is an interesting discussion about Security tips over at CCleaner forum:
http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=19017
The no. 1 thing is Common Sense™ that I find is sorely lacking or maybe it is gullibility with a smattering of naivety thrown in.
I have never run IE on this computer. Here is how it works for me: normally you just download the update installer .exe file and install it offline. I beleive this is true for all security updates.
Sometimes, MS requires you to verify that you are running genuine Windows, and requires you to download and run a small verification program. This produces a code, presumably showing that you bought a valid license. This code is entered at the MS update site and you can then download the installer. It’s been some time since I have done this, so they may have changed this procedure.
Bye bye, IE. Enjoy.
Out of the most known browsers Opera, FireFox, IE and Safari), Opera has been the safest for years. Second comes Safari (I am speaking on windows systems here) the IE and last FF. Yes, FF is the one with the most leaks, security issues. Even more then IE. And don’t forget that no plugin/add-on for FF is tested and can be a (huge) security risk.
That came hot and steaming from the rear end of a male bovine quadruped.
Hi FwF and Eddy,
So you think polonus is wasting his time as a test pilot on Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1b3pre) Gecko/20081126 Minefield/3.1b3pre ID:20081126035913 and also as a member of MozillaZine (mainly contributing to the NoScript add-on webforum section there), contributing to Bugzilla occasionally and also analyzing the workings of FF.
One reason we have that many bugs, because it is Open Software and you know that when the soup is tasty, there are many “tasters” to serve the soup that can have a little extra before the main group is getting the goodies.
There is no browser around at the moment that has been build with security in mind. None, period. End of discussion, the way the Internet works would not tolerate it, I assume…
You see that when you underbind the working of cookies, scripts, redirects etc. the work gets harder between the keyboard and the chair. I have turned this browser inside out, had it on my comp in what kind of configuration you like, experimented with all sort of filters, had good extensions and even better extensions and one extension I will never leave (NoScript), analyze all my leaks, every occasional crash, I have tweaked it to extremes, and I still return to it. Use Flock sometimes, SRWare Iron (the Chrome klone without the privacy issues GoogleChrome has) to render pages where Firefox is not working fully in optima forma. All traces of the browser leave my computer before I close it down, links I save for Flem.
For a browser with 14% market share Firefox 3.0 is not more insecure than other browsers are, that is my opinion and I have a good track record,
polonus
Quote from Shakespeare’s Macbull?
Eddy,
you were one of the first I had discussion with 4 years ago when I first entered this forum and I learned to respect your posts.
I hope that you will forgive me asking for some backup information on the relative security of browsers you have posted in this thread.
Best regards,
Alan
bob3160:
Thank you for the knowledge about the IE Tab in Firefox, I had no idea. I have no Firefox addons. I have spent the year just trying to make the fundamentals work and be free of malware, etc. Speaking of which, along with other issues, if I ever get things straightened out, I will make an effort to get this IE Tab.
Thanks too for the email advice. I am just beginning to use forums, and I am still less than savvy about many aspects of them. Then too, it’s difficult to read and comprehend all the info on each forum involving their use because I have limited time to spend.
TheSpirit: I will comment on what you mentioned. Please correct anything I am misunderstanding.
But in order to download the.exe file, don’t you have to do it via IE (given the stipulation in Reply #17) even if you close the browser and then begin the install? (This is if I don’t have a Firefox IE Tab that bob3160 mentions.)
I get automatic notification of updates. But if you go to the MS update site it always scans your system to see what updates you need—and to verify that you have a valid license. But it doesn’t indicate that it’s downloading a program to do the check. And I’ve never had to enter a code to download the file in order to install.
So, I guess things have changed since you did this??
hi ! it’s me again :o but i just want to know if you put add ons like Finjan and Dr. Web ,does it make your browsing speed kinda slow?
Thanks and peace
and 1 more thing ! whats the difference between WOT and Scandoo
Thanks again
It would entirely depend on your connection method (dial-up or broadband). I have dial-up and it certainly slowed searches not too much in the loading of actual pages, I removed Finjan and scandoo, WOT doesn’t seem to any appreciable effect on my searches.
If you are talking of the firefox DrWeb link checker (e.g. right click on a link to check it) then that has no impact on general searches or browsing as it is on-demand, you initiate the check, though the actual check is very slow at times, especially on dial-up.
Hi DavidR,
I did not notice any change with scandoo using it for a search engine, it is as quick as the google results it gives. it is no add-on.
What is slowing down actually even on ADSL is MCAfee SiteAdvisor! Much more that finjan ever did.
But there are things that are slowing you down really on dial up and that is retrieving images through Google because that uses redirects. If you block redirects that you do not need with RequestPolicy add-on, so block all the redirects on a page that are not essential, you surf a lot faster! Have you tried SRWare’s Iron browser, I think that is the ideal browser for speed for people on dial-up connections! And a lot safer than Google’s own Chrome,
polonus
ahh ok ok.since i rely on you guys.please help me decide.which 1 should i use? WOT or Scandoo or Finjan ? cuz i’ve been reading their description, for me they look like the same( sigh… i’m so confused…lol)
thanks and peace
If you use Firefox, WOT.
If you use IE, Finjan.
Hi BluGan,
While there are no conflicts I have all three installed in my Firefox Minefield browser.
Sometimes WOT scans differ from finjan’s and then I load up DrWeb’s av link checker to check the link or
go here: http://linkscanner.explabs.com/linkscanner/default.aspx
or here: http://online.us.drweb.com/ (if you do not have the add-on),
or you can check a suspicious url here: http://safeweb.norton.com/noscript/
Enjoy your added security,
polonus
P.S. The DrWeb’s link checker plug-in download site: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/938
oh yeah.i used the link scanner, they have the LinkScanner Pro trial version.is it worth to download the trial ? i guess it has a limited time right?
thanks and peace
I don’t use Scandoo nor DrWeb but I do use WoT on my real old 500MHZ PIII and it does not slow down browsing with IE8 beta2.
I use Mcafee SiteAdvisor and it does not slow down browsing but sometimes its servers are busy so results might be slow.
@safetynut
I think there is a difference of culture here. When you do the standard online Windows update, your computer effectively becomes a part of Microsoft. They can do whatever they like with your personal property; they can check your license, they can check all your software (not only MS software) and they can check your data! They can also install whatever they like and change whatever settings they like. This is supposed to be a good thing, but it can - and does from time to time - cause a lot of harm.
Some of us don’t want to be a part of MS and do things differently. So let me ask: why do you want to use Fx for Windows updates and what do you expect to achieve? It takes some work to do it, and if you have no big motivation, maybe you should forget it?
Maybe you should learn how to download (exe) files with Fx. I recommend using FlashGot (and an external download manager). You have a long way to go and a lot of reading to do.
TheSpirit, I would hate to be you.
Do you wear both a belt and suspenders on your pants?
Do you take an umbrella with you on sunny days?
When Microsoft conspiracy theories spin out of control
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=97
DavidR, you think Finjan slowed down your searches on dialup?
You removed Finjan and thought that WOT didn’t slow down your searches? Why do you recommend Finjan over WOT for IE then?