Windows Hardening
Making
XP
Last up till
2011
The Browser page
Personalise your Firefox browser for UK Install Firefox plugin UK Threat Level
Displays the current UK Threat Level provided by
Personalize Your Firefox browser for US install Firefox plugin Homeland Security
Displays the current US Threat Level provided by
install Firefox plugin Web of Trust
Warns users about risky web sites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware, or send spam.
This plug in acts like a traffic light for your Google, Yahoo, Ask etc searches. A Red circle for a warning site phishing, Trojans or other harmful content, Amber for caution and Green for safe sites.
Community activity for 28th December 2008
|
Rated sites |
Number of sites |
|
Total |
21,095,688 |
|
New this week |
31,702 |
|
New this month |
218,326 |
|
Dangerous sites |
Number of sites |
%of total |
|
Trustworthiness |
824,193 |
3.9 |
|
Vendor reliability |
876,585 |
4.2 |
|
Privacy |
1,184,733 |
5.6 |
|
Child Safety |
972,023 |
4.6 |
Firefox a safer browser
We recommend using the latest version 3.0.5 The Best Firefox Yet
With more than 15,000 improvements, Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter than ever before.
Firefox 3 security features
Firefox keeps your personal info personal and your online interests away from the bad guys.
So How Do Mozilla Do It?
What makes Firefox different? Most importantly, we’re open. That means anyone around the world (and we have thousands of experts watching our back) is able to look into our code and find any potential weak spots in our armour.
And when we hear about a problem, we roll up our sleeves and get to work fixing it right away. It's in your best interest (and ours) to take care of the issue, even if it means admitting we're a little less than perfect.
Simply put, your security is our top priority.
Stay Secure on the Web
Firefox 3 with the additional Web Of Trust plug in, continues to lead the way in online security.
Chrome Shines…For the Moment
After using Chrome for most of today, I’ve come to the conclusion that, for most people, Chrome is a great addition to the browser world, but for me, there’s so many specific features and plug ins I use in Firefox that it’s going to take awhile before I’ll be able to use it as much as I want. However, once there’s equivalent plug ins and add-ons for Chrome as the other browsers (like a Roboform Adapter, for example), I would consider switching.
Chrome is a welcome addition and great to play around with. Its so fast and I love the privacy options. I would recommend reading/watching a tutorial before you actually use it because there’s a lot to learn that’s not obviously available.
So lets take a brief look at some of the benefits behind the scenes:
More Secure (allegedly) because of its “Sandbox” architecture
The “Sandbox” is built on a multithreaded, multi process architecture which prevents one tab from crashing another and provides improved protection from malware and other bad sites.
Chrome is open source
It uses the open-source WebKit project (which Safari is built on) to render Web pages in the browser; most importantly is the shiny new V8, Google’s open source JavaScript engine.
Faster JavaScript
This means that applications can be faster, but also that programmers can push the Web application limits farther. More code can be included in the browser which will allow it to open up tons of options for Web app developers. Pichai, a Google vice president of product management, was salivating over the possibilities.
As for usability, its got a number of features that are quite handy:
Tabs
Tabs are the primary component of Chrome’s user interface. Tabs and everything within them can be seamlessly dragged between the different windows . Each tab has its own set of controls, including the Omnibox URL box.
Tab Pages
Chrome replaces the normal browser homepage, which is displayed when a new tab is created with a New Tab Page. This shows thumbnails of the nine most visited web sites along with the sites most often searched, recent bookmarks and recently closed tabs.
The Omnibox
The URL box on the top of each tab is called the “Omnibox” and offers several advanced features, including an auto complete option. However, the option doesn’t auto complete for tech user, they have to choose it manually. This is a good thing because users can choose whether they want to choose Google’s suggestion or not. The auto complete feature works with URL’s and searches.
Web App's
Web App's can be launched in their own streamlined window without the Omnibox URL box and browser toolbar. This makes the whole process easier and less resource intensive, allowing web applications to run simultaneously with local software a la Adobe AIR.
Incognito Mode
Chrome offers the option of setting your browser tab to “Incognito” mode, where users can surf the web without leaving a record of sites visited on the user’s computer.
Relies heavily on user browsing history
This has been added as a plus and a negative, as some people find it really handy to have personalized browsing and others find it inconvenient.
Keep in mind that, unless specifically set to Incognito mode, Chrome records Web sites visited, recently closed tabs, recently saved Web pages, and frequently used search engines. This is how it creates the “New Tab.”
Now for the negatives
Web Standards are rocky
The first release of Google Chrome Beta does not pass the Acid 3 test (checks how well a web browser follows certain web standards, esp for DOM and JavaScript).
Its behind as far as app's are concerned
Obviously its brand new, so this will be remedied with time, but until it is, Chrome doesn’t really have a chance of stealing the market share for browsers, especially since other browsers are consistently upgrading as well.
Not enough features to inspire the average user
I don’t think average users will be moving to Chrome any time soon. Better, faster browsing and great features like a user-friendly interface, better security, privacy, and search are wonderful components, but it remains to be seen how many people will take the trouble of downloading and installing a new browser, let alone learning how to use it.
Overall, I think it has a lot of potential, but time will tell how well it does. It will be more intuitive for those who use Safari on a daily basis. In the meantime, I’ll use it for relaxed browsing and research, but for the really heavy lifting, I’ll stick with my totally customized FF.
Relies heavily on user browsing history
This has been added as a plus and a negative, as some people find it really handy to have personalized browsing and others find it inconvenient.
Keep in mind that, unless specifically set to Incognito mode, Chrome records Web sites visited, recently closed tabs, recently saved Web pages, and frequently used search engines. This is how it creates the “New Tab.”
No way to manage bookmarks, no option for emailing links and pages right from the browser and various other minor tweaks that will be corrected with later versions of Chrome.
Authority Domains & Google Aurora Brown 02 Sep 2008
US-CERT Current Activity
Google Chrome Download Vulnerability
Original release date: September 3, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Last revised: September 3, 2008 at 1:52 PM
US-CERT is aware of a vulnerability that affects the Google Chrome web browser. This vulnerability is due to a default configuration that allows files to be downloaded without prompting the user. In addition, downloaded files can be opened with a single click, which could allow
a user to inadvertently open a malicious file.
US-CERT encourages users to enable the "Ask where to save each file before downloading" option within the "Minor Tweaks" tab in the browser preferences. Although this does not fix the underlying vulnerability, selecting this option will warn the user before files are downloaded. Users should still exercise caution when visiting and downloading items from untrusted websites.
US-CERT will provide additional information as it becomes available.
This new browser from Google addresses many issues relating to security and Web 2.0 and I personally think it is the biggest thing in Browser Developments since Firefox, Safari and Opera. Unless you know what your doing and know the risks with Beta 0.2 149.127 testing and many updates with fixes until it reaches 1.0 watch and wait for now. At A Perkin Web Design I have tested all my web sites which opened 25 tabs without any problems. Google have not provided an easy means of feedback to Report A Bug like Mozilla Firefox or Iobit Advanced Windows Care. A the moment this can only be done when you uninstall Chrome.