http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=74&e=3&u=/cmp/20040702/tc_cmp/22103407 Get Firefox, it rocks!
From the article "Alternative browsers such as Mozilla or Netscape may not protect users, the agency warned, if those browsers invoke ActiveX control or HTML rendering engines." Yeah, the real culprit isn't IE, but activeX. By default Mozilla and Firefox don't have ActiveX, you have to install a plugin to enable it. So basically you have go out and install something to make Mozilla vunerable. Unfortunately NEtscape 7 ships with a beta ActiveX extension. I just found it funny that the Dept. of Homeland Security says not to use IE.
So I just downloaded Firefox. I assume I'm safe now. I like the tab feature and the fact it imported my bookmarks and passwords. Well done.
NO!! You are still not safe! from the article: Alternative browsers such as Mozilla or Netscape may not protect users, the agency warned, if those browsers invoke ActiveX control or HTML rendering engines. I'm still researching this to find out... under the Options section of Firefox, I'm not finding anything about Active X (see post below) I am using Firefox exclusively at home and at work. I love the tabbed browsing, I like the way the bookmarks are laid out and I love the 'themes' - you can download approved user interfaces, gives it a new look!
LINK ------------- so apparently, Active X is not installed in Mozilla Firefox unless you download it... folks should still be careful what is downloaded and where you surf. surf smart, surf safe!
Tabbed browsing allows you to open new pages (as tabs in the same browser window)... so you can have multiple pages open but only one browser... go to File, New Tab, then you can click on your favorite or type in your URL. In earlier versions of Mozilla the default was new tabs in the same window... but in the newer versions the default is to open a new window. I'm still looking for the option to "open new windows in the same browser". Themes can be downloaded by going to TOOLS then THEMES or by clicking this.
Slimbrowser just sits on top of IE -- it doesn't protect against all IE vulnerabilities. As long as you haven't installed ActiveX for Firefox, you'll be okay. I've never seen anyone install it, as that's part of the value of using Firefox is protection AGAINST ActiveX. I'm impressed, I'm away from the BBS for a few hours and you all take up the slack of pimping Firefox. I'm telling you, if you haven't used it yet, do it, you'll be glad you did! Like rockHEAD said, you still should be wary on the internet, but you're MUCH better protected with Firefox. Browsing with IE is like not using condoms during p*rn shoots, eventually you're gonna get the clap! Join us . . . .
I'm glad someone caught this. Slimbrowser is just a shell the runs over IE. The same is true of MyIE2, Avant Browser, Neoplanet, and several others. If its not Mozilla/Netscape (or one of the derivatives using Gecko) or Opera, it's probably just a shell. Same problems as IE.
What the heck is ActiveX supposed to do when not opening up the computer to hacker attacks? I'd never really heard of it except every once in a while I'd get an email and when I clicked on it, I'd get a warning from Outlook Express saying the page may not be displayed correctly since I have disable ActiveX controls (or something like that).
Actually, it's MUCH easier just to hover over a link and click the center button on your mouse. That opens up a new tab to the link you just clicked on. Also, you can open a new tab by hitting CTRL-T.
