Another Firefox Vulnerability - Already?!

Firefox’s latest browser, version 1.5.0.6, already has a new vulnerability.

National Vulnerability Database Article

Look to the left of this article – below my profile, and you will see that I am a big Firefox fan. I still use Internet Explorer, and Opera, and Netscape, yada yada yada, however, because I do a lot of testing. I just want to say that I am not writing this post to slam any particular browser or boost one over the other. But I have to wonder – and this is for all the little computer nerds who work in Best Buy, constantly parroting the virtues of Firefox to every customer they see – why is it that all these new vulnerabilities in Firefox practically go unnoticed while the Internet Explorer vulnerabilities get all the press?

In the last three weeks or so, Firefox has released two new versions, presumably to cover security holes and add features. The only reason I found out about the latest Firefox vulnerability is some micro-font text on a Dark Reading Weekly page – not a front page press item to be sure. I’m sure this will be published on Secunia and SANS very soon. But because the kids at Best Buy tell you matter-of-factly that Firefox is the only way to go, and just because Firefox doesn’t get the big press, doesn’t mean you are always safe and never need to pay attention to staying up to date.

Anyway, my point in all this is that people fall into a false sense of security because they hear so-called “experts” blather on about how Firefox is far superior to Internet Explorer from a security standpoint. People blindly follow this advice, thinking that they will never, ever, ever, ever have to worry about anything from now on. This notion is putting a patently false idea into your heads. Regardless of what products you use, you always need to stay vigilant for security flaws and apply updates when they are available.

The bad guys are getting bored with Microsoft – due diligence and proper risk analysis means that you are evaluating all of your software and keeping them up to date. Stay safe with all parts of your system!

Web Browser Updates

On the web browser front, there are a few updates you need to be aware of. First, for the Firefox user’s version 1.5.0.5 is now available. This update fixes a few security holes. I’m a big Firefox fan, but it sure seems to me that they have released a lot of updates lately. Are the hacker kiddies finally getting bored with Microsoft and going after someone else?

For you Internet Explorer users – this is a biggie. Internet Explorer 7 will be hitting the streets sometime this coming fall. The thing to be aware of is that IE7 will come to you as part of the regular Windows Updates in whatever month it is released. But even if you have your automatic updates set to auto/auto, you will be getting an IE7 prompt, with the choice of whether or not to install it. I am telling you this now because IE7 is a completely different looking creature than your present IE6. It will feature tabbed browsing, anti-phishing filters, the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds (no separate reader required), and a whole new look and feel. I have been using the beta version of IE7 for quite some time now – and it is pretty cool looking. I would just warn you that you need to make sure it will work with all of your web applications. The learning curve will be slightly higher on this new browser.

More Information Here

For you corporate folks (and even home users), if you don’t want IE7 even offered to you, Microsoft plans to provide a blocking tool that you can apply to keep your computer from getting IE7 automatically.

The new Firefox version looks and feels the same, just has a few security holes plugged. Hmmm…. Firefox - security holes? Could it be? The new IE7 will be very different, however. You will need a little time to get used to it and get used to where all the buttons have moved, but you will be very pleased with the new browser.