40. Many options out there if you
want to change browser
By Mark Alberstat
It seems that as each week passes a new threat to Microsoft's Internet
browser, Internet Explorer (IE), is discovered, reported and possibly
patched.
In early July the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. computer
emergency readiness team recommended, for security reasons, that people
not use the browser. This announcement was made in reaction to a new
threat / virus from Russia that can analyse keystrokes within
Javascript on a website.
It is believed this latest threat was after credit card numbers.
Mac users can't feel overly secure either, as the IE version for the Mac
has had vulnerabilities exposed, including one particularly nasty bug that
can trick the secure website padlock.
With about 95 per cent of Internet users surfing with IE, the installed
base for any of these attacks is enormous. You, however, do not have to be
one of those vulnerable people.
Thanks to a healthy competitive programmer community, there are
alternatives to IE and you may want to shut the door to attacks by simply
changing your browser.
The list of alternative browsers has grown over the past few years and now
includes: Netscape, Mozilla, FireFox, Opera and the newest kid on the
block, SlimBrowser. All of these are easily found, downloaded and
installed.
Of these IE alternatives, the most popular are Netscape and Mozilla. In
fact, they are very closely related products, with Mozilla being an
open-source version of Netscape.
Mozilla is currently in version 1.7 and features builds for Windows, Linux
and Mac.
Two of Mozilla's most popular, and often copied, features are its tabbed
viewing and pop-up blocking. Tabbed viewing allows users to have multiple
sites, or windows, open, but only one instance of the program running.
Each new window opens in a separate tab, shown at the top of the browser.
The pop-up blocker simply cuts down on the number of those annoying ads
that seem to proliferate on the Internet. Sadly, IE is missing this
feature.
In the early years of the browser wars, Netscape and IE were the only
serious contenders. Netscape is still alive and well and currently on
version 7.2. This version features tabbed browsing and easily integrates
STOPzilla, a program add-on that helps prevent ad-ware, pop-ups and
numerous other online annoyances.
If you want to look at two of the newest kids on the browser block, check
out Mozilla's Firefox or Flashpeak's SlimBrowser.
Firefox is the latest award-winning product from the Mozilla labs. Being
termed as the "next generation browser," Firefox features tabbed browsing,
pop-up blocking, and a strong set of privacy tools that keep your Internet
activity to yourself.
SlimBrowser is on version 3.99.006 and was released July 5, 2004. The
program works with IE to bring you a faster, cleaner browser, something IE
should have been long ago.
The following is a list of links to the software mentioned:
http://www.stopzilla.com/
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/default.jsp
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
http://www.flashpeak.com/sbrowser/
http://www.opera.com/
The Mousepad runs every two weeks. It's a service of Chebucto Community
Net, a community-owned Internet provider. If you have a question about
computing, email mousepad@chebucto.ns.ca. If we use your question in
a column, we'll send you a free mousepad.
Originally published 8 August 2004
