Germany Issues Another Browser Warning, This Time Against Firefox
If there's one nation out there who really, really cares about the
digital well-being of their citizens, it's Germany. Just a couple of
months after the country warned the general public to avoid Internet
Explorer due to a raft of security concerns, the government has now
done likewise to an unexpected rival: Firefox.
Once known as the runaway champion over IE and a browser that could actually be trusted against hacks, Firefox has grown so large that it's now considering one of the most targeted and slowest browsers available. We already heard that growing too large, too fast can do that too you, and we have definitely had our fair share of frustrations with the software ever since it hit 3.0 and seemingly went mainstream.
Now, the Germany government is stepping in to warn Internet surfers against the potential security holes in Mozilla's alternative to Microsoft's behemoth of a browser. The Federal Office for Information Security cautioned that "a Firefox vulnerability, confirmed by Firefox makers, could allow hackers to run malicious programs on users' computers." Firefox developers are already working hard on the next version in order to patch the hole that Germany is referencing, with a beta (3.6.2) already available for those who don't mind taking the risk of installing untested software. The comical part? Experts are suggested that switching to another browser might not be a great idea, either.
In other words, it looks like Opera or Camino are your only options until this whole thing blows over. Or who know, maybe those aren't so safe either. Feels like a horror movie...
Once known as the runaway champion over IE and a browser that could actually be trusted against hacks, Firefox has grown so large that it's now considering one of the most targeted and slowest browsers available. We already heard that growing too large, too fast can do that too you, and we have definitely had our fair share of frustrations with the software ever since it hit 3.0 and seemingly went mainstream.
Now, the Germany government is stepping in to warn Internet surfers against the potential security holes in Mozilla's alternative to Microsoft's behemoth of a browser. The Federal Office for Information Security cautioned that "a Firefox vulnerability, confirmed by Firefox makers, could allow hackers to run malicious programs on users' computers." Firefox developers are already working hard on the next version in order to patch the hole that Germany is referencing, with a beta (3.6.2) already available for those who don't mind taking the risk of installing untested software. The comical part? Experts are suggested that switching to another browser might not be a great idea, either.
Graham Cluley, senior technologist at security firm Sophos, had this to say: "Switching your web browser willy-nilly as each new unpatched security hole is revealed could cause more problems than it's worth. What are you going to do when your replacement browser itself turns out to contain a vulnerability? My advice is to only switch from Firefox if you really know what you are doing with the browser you're swapping to. If you stick with Firefox, apply the security update as soon as it's available."
In other words, it looks like Opera or Camino are your only options until this whole thing blows over. Or who know, maybe those aren't so safe either. Feels like a horror movie...
