This is a very interesting article about the research that has been done on the security of end users internet browsers. There has always been the debate of which browser is the most secure. I am not sure whether this is a browser issue or a user issue.

Microsoft IE is the most used browser for the internet both in the corporate and home market. However Firefox has been making headway into both markets. The IT industry is well aware of the security issues associated with IE and this is why Firefox is being used more and more. The problem is that Firefox is used primarily by the IT industry and not as much by the general public. Most end users at home use IE because that is what comes with their OS. This leads to the security issue, most users do not use the latest browser version or have the latest updates.

I believe there is more to this issue, the real issue is what security settings are being set on the browser to prevent malicious code? Most users use the default security settings instead of securing the browser with more secure settings. The reason this not done is because it is more difficult to browse with these secure settings (ie. You have to click on more messages from the browser.) Items such as client side scripting and active x controls are what cause the pop up winds and messages.

The answer lies in educating the user about the browser and its security settings to ensure that a security breach does not occur. This includes understanding what secure browsing means and what messages to click on and what not to click on.

Enjoy reading the article….Tom