On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 11:35:06 -0400, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> The question is whether or not FireFox in mass use would reduce spyware - > >> I'm not sure it would. It very well might - I just don't know. > > > >IE installs software without your consent - so yes it would reduce it > >(using logic and experience not stats). After I install firefox on > >systems and run spybot a month or two later there isn't any spyware. > > No it doesn't.
I am afraid it does. Run spybot on your system every once in a while, bet you'll find some if you browse with IE - patch system or not > > Or will we continue to compare the initial release of IE with the current > release of FireFox? Anonymous installation of software was a bug. A bug > that's been addressed. Any software that took advantage of that bug is > legitimatly "viral" and can and should be caught by any off-the-shelf virus > checking software. > So what you are saying is, those people who "can't install software" are supposed to keep their system patched? IE will be a problem for a long long time, because if you find a flaw in it you often get to 0wn the whole box. > I think we're all in agreement that the first step to good security is to > patch your systems as recommended by your vendor. (Even the gentlemen in > Jochem's reference link admits that none of the software installed could have > been installed with a fully patched system. Although I can't see what good > point can be made by testing on five year old, unpatched software.) > > I think we can also all be agreement is that the second step in good security > is to run up-to-date virus checkers and firewalls. > Thirdly run software that is well written, under active development, and had something added to it this century. > The argument, it seems to me, is not to switch to Firefox but rather to patch > your systems. These are two very different things. > You should always patch your systems (if it doesn't cause you computer not to function doing so as sp2 did to my mom), and its a very good move to use firefox if you don't want people to steal your on line banking information :) > Also, there will be spyware on many people's ForeFox machines because, just > as always, they can easily be tricked into installing it. Can you (or, > humbly, I) be tricked? Probably not - but that's not who we're talking about > - "the masses" definately can be and are. > I have yet to find a piece of spy ware on my girlfriends or her bosses computer after we moved them to firefox. I just don't think you are talking form experience here. > FireFox is a great browser, but it's not a panacea for bad human behavior. True that Cheers again Jim -- ~The cfml plug-in for eclipse~ http://cfeclipse.tigris.org ~open source xslt IDE~ http://treebeard.sourceforge.net ~open source XML database~ http://ashpool.sourceforge.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Silver Sponsor - New Atlanta http://www.newatlanta.com Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:186315 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
