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Concerned About Security? Use Firefox, Chrome
Techtree News Staff, May 07, 2009 1758 hrs ISTAutomatic browser updates a safer bet
A new study has revealed that users who use Google's Chrome or Firefox are more "secure" than folks who use other browsers like Safari or Opera.
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Google Switzerland have revealed that the built in update mechanisms which keep the browser up to date by automatically downloading and installing updates, offer a far more secure browsing experience as compared with products that need a user prompt to initiate an update.
The study noted that only about 45 percent of Internet users were using the most secure browser version when visiting Google's servers. It also revealed that as much as 83 percent of all Firefox users were using the latest version of the browser. As for Google Chrome, just 21 days after an update, a very high (97 percent) percentage of users were on the latest version.
On the contrary, a dismal 53 percent of users had updated to the latest version of Safari after three weeks of its release. As for Opera, the figure was even lower at 24 percent. Imagine! 76 percent of Opera users remain vulnerable to threats posed by the security holes that were plugged by the latest updates.
While expert users may scoff at the study, automatic forced updates are one of the best ways to remain protected. However, those who wish more freedom to control their "updates", it's just a matter of designing user friendly preferences that lets the user choose how frequently or when he wants to update.
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Google Switzerland have revealed that the built in update mechanisms which keep the browser up to date by automatically downloading and installing updates, offer a far more secure browsing experience as compared with products that need a user prompt to initiate an update.
The study noted that only about 45 percent of Internet users were using the most secure browser version when visiting Google's servers. It also revealed that as much as 83 percent of all Firefox users were using the latest version of the browser. As for Google Chrome, just 21 days after an update, a very high (97 percent) percentage of users were on the latest version.
On the contrary, a dismal 53 percent of users had updated to the latest version of Safari after three weeks of its release. As for Opera, the figure was even lower at 24 percent. Imagine! 76 percent of Opera users remain vulnerable to threats posed by the security holes that were plugged by the latest updates.
While expert users may scoff at the study, automatic forced updates are one of the best ways to remain protected. However, those who wish more freedom to control their "updates", it's just a matter of designing user friendly preferences that lets the user choose how frequently or when he wants to update.
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(4) Comments
Sid
,Bhubaneswar, on May 07, 2009 11:46 PM
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Sunil Suresh
,Mangalore, on May 08, 2009 01:42 PM
Deepak T
,Chennai, on May 08, 2009 01:57 AM
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