YAFirefoxT: Great article on Firefox in USA Today

[Ilmater]

Text

Hopefully this moves Firefox into the mainstream... kind of. And before I hear about moving this to "software," this is clearly a news article and does not belong in software.

 

[iamme]

just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, if Firefox became more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

I'm hoping it will be like Apache compared to IIS. Apache is more popular, but has less known exploits available.

 

[Cristatus]

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

Well I assume unless they take over >50% of market share, most people that are looking to exploit software will primarily focus on whatever software has market share (not to mention whichever is easier to exploit).

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

IIS vs. Apache.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: isasir

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

Well I assume unless they take over >50% of market share, most people that are looking to exploit software will primarily focus on whatever software has market share (not to mention whichever is easier to exploit).

IIS vs. Apache.

😛

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

That's not the reason, the problem is the underlying security "concept".

 

[iamme]

i'm not an expert in this area, so is there truth to this?

"Firefox is constantly updated, it's faster, it's more user friendly and it doesn't have security holes so big you can fly a plane through them," says Nordwall.

can someone explain this? (well, briefly, i guess) 🙂

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

Yes, and it would contain a lot of talk about the pros and cons of open source specificlaly related to that subject. But ultimately, it will probably NEVER be as popular as IE, and better yet is the fact that realistically, most hackers are only doing the things they're doing to make MS look bad.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: iamme
i'm not an expert in this area, so does is there truth to this?

"Firefox is constantly updated, it's faster, it's more user friendly and it doesn't have security holes so big you can fly a plane through them," says Nordwall.

Yes and no. It is constatly updated, you can even find versions that are hours old instead of months. Hell, you could download from CVS if you wanted to.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

Yes, and it would contain a lot of talk about the pros and cons of open source specificlaly related to that subject. But ultimately, it will probably NEVER be as popular as IE, and better yet is the fact that realistically, most hackers are only doing the things they're doing to make MS look bad.

They do it because they can, or because they have something to say. Most of the defacements I've seen don't involve making Microsoft look bad (unless you spell it BUSH). Real hackers don't care about making anyone look bad.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: iamme
i'm not an expert in this area, so is there truth to this?

"Firefox is constantly updated, it's faster, it's more user friendly and it doesn't have security holes so big you can fly a plane through them," says Nordwall.

can someone explain this? (well, briefly, i guess) 🙂

Firefox is updated much more frequently, it is faster at opening up many web pages (though it's slower at opening up initially because IE is PART of Windows, and therefore loads up WITH the OS. As for security holes, nobody could really tell you how big they are because hackers don't spend NEARLY as much looking at it for exploits as they do for IE.

 

odd that USA today is all about positive FireFox reviews......but Gannett corporate IT will not make it the official software to be used...or even let it be installed

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: iamme
i'm not an expert in this area, so is there truth to this?

"Firefox is constantly updated, it's faster, it's more user friendly and it doesn't have security holes so big you can fly a plane through them," says Nordwall.

can someone explain this? (well, briefly, i guess) 🙂

Firefox is updated much more frequently, it is faster at opening up many web pages (though it's slower at opening up initially because IE is PART of Windows, and therefore loads up WITH the OS. As for security holes, nobody could really tell you how big they are because hackers don't spend NEARLY as much looking at it for exploits as they do for IE.

You really think so?

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

Yes, and it would contain a lot of talk about the pros and cons of open source specificlaly related to that subject. But ultimately, it will probably NEVER be as popular as IE, and better yet is the fact that realistically, most hackers are only doing the things they're doing to make MS look bad.

They do it because they can, or because they have something to say. Most of the defacements I've seen don't involve making Microsoft look bad (unless you spell it BUSH). Real hackers don't care about making anyone look bad.

Hackers hack for one of two reasons: they either want to make a statement or want to make a name for themselves. Either way, as long as you're the smaller player you have less to worry about because it's easier for them to make a name for themselves OR to make a statement by attacking the more frequently used browser.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: logic1485

Originally posted by: iamme
just theoretically speaking, as Firefox becomes more popular, wouldn't it become a more favorable target for nefarious exploit attempts?

i agree.

the only reason why windows has so many exploits is because they have been discovered, and because it's so popular....

p.s.: that discussion would run on for pages

Yes, and it would contain a lot of talk about the pros and cons of open source specificlaly related to that subject. But ultimately, it will probably NEVER be as popular as IE, and better yet is the fact that realistically, most hackers are only doing the things they're doing to make MS look bad.

They do it because they can, or because they have something to say. Most of the defacements I've seen don't involve making Microsoft look bad (unless you spell it BUSH). Real hackers don't care about making anyone look bad.

Hackers hack for one of two reasons: they either want to make a statement or want to make a name for themselves. Either way, as long as you're the smaller player you have less to worry about because it's easier for them to make a name for themselves OR to make a statement by attacking the more frequently used browser.

No, there are more than 2 reasons. Yes, something to say and making a name are two reasons. But there are hackers that try to make things better. There are hackers who are in it for the money. There are hackers doing it because they are just bored.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
No, there are more than 2 reasons. Yes, something to say and making a name are two reasons. But there are hackers that try to make things better. There are hackers who are in it for the money. There are hackers doing it because they are just bored.

Fair enough. Change my other response to "the main two reasons..."

 

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
No, there are more than 2 reasons. Yes, something to say and making a name are two reasons. But there are hackers that try to make things better. There are hackers who are in it for the money. There are hackers doing it because they are just bored.

Fair enough. Change my other response to "the main two reasons..."

can you prove they're the main reasons....no one ever hears about the other reasons because *TADA* they're not news!