A recently released study by NSS Labs is once again claiming that based on their internal tests, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 outperforms competing browsers like Google’s Chrome, Mozilla’s Firefox, Opera and Apple’s Safari in terms of protecting their users against “socially engineered malware” and phishing attacks
How objective is the study? For starters, it’s Microsoft-sponsored one.
There are many armchair critics that would love to be Microsoft sponsored.
Discussing the better browser is like discussing whether chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla.
Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you’re in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you get.
Did you read one of the comments, they didn’t do the tests using firefox 3.5 but 3.0, they said it wasn’t a stable version, what a joke.
I do think they did the tests although they did not post the the results… as I think they would like to know how their competitors are doing… ([abbr= In My Humble Opinion]IMHO[/abbr])
Testtubes for hire? When the results are so extreme, our common sense should tell us something wrong with the procedure.
Hi Rumpel,
If it is too good to be true, in most cases that is what it is. Why MS wants to go on supporting a relict browser the “Rip van Winkle IE6”, because company admins dictate the rules here in spite of the fact that IE6 is years and years old. Why not enforce an update to IE8 on all machines like Firefox did with their 3.5 version of the browser. MS only pay lipservice to security with IE6, but their general policy is one of serving their main line of income, and that is understandable, but then be honest about it, this despite of the fact that IE8 was greatly improved security wise, we have to admit this also…
polonus
Of course, by true, I guess you meant only comparison between older versions of IE and newer one. Dancho Danchev points out that the “researches” oddly avoid comparison between newer versions of other browsers and IE 8. “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.” I guess the knack is utilize some pieces of truth here and there.
Something ironical is that I tend to update IE but that this is not because I use it a lot but OS is integrated with it, which is again, the reason why I avoid using it. So, I guess I, too, admit that there are improvements in security of Microsoft products to some extent. As for possible reasons why I cannot enjoy it wholeheartedly is…I wonder if it’s me who is cynical or it’s the situation which is ironical.
Hi Rumpel,
My mind works in a similar way as yours in this respect, you are not cynical, no way man, you just have made a good and proper analysis independantly of what information is hold out at you here as a carrot. The out of the box IE is used by many users and is not secure, that has been proven many, many times. Remember ActiveX and all the mishap that brought, and polonus and DavidR for that matter also keep their IE8 fully updated and patched for reasons that it can ride way deep under the hood into the Operational System. The security aware think like you Rumpel…period,
polonus
Can a IE8 user clear something up for me?
If I remember correctly,I gave it a try during Beta,and it started a extra permanently running process?
Something like that,or an extra service?
When I end all IE sessions there are no extra permanently running processes.
IE does not use an extra service.
Thank you Yo Kenny.
Microsoft-sponsored = it’s gonna come out in favour of Microsoft.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.