Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Firefox to get phishing shield
CNET ^ | March 8, 2006, 2:21 PM PST | Joris Evers

Posted on 03/09/2006 10:32:04 AM PST by DemosCrash

Firefox to get phishing shield
By Joris Evers Staff Writer, CNET News.com


Published: March 8, 2006, 2:21 PM PST

An upcoming version of Firefox will include protection against phishing scams, using technology that might come from Google.

The phishing shield is a key new security feature planned for Firefox 2, slated for release in the third quarter of this year, Mozilla's Mike Shaver said in an interview Tuesday.

"Everybody understands that phishing is a significant problem on the Web," said Shaver, a technology strategist at the company, which oversees Firefox development. "We are putting antiphishing into Firefox, and Google is working with us on that."

News.context

What's new: Mozilla plans to put protection against phishing scams in the next update to Firefox, set for release later this year. Google is working with Mozilla on the technology. Bottom line: With the continued rise in online attacks, security tools have become something browser makers can use to try to stand out.

More stories on this topic With the continued rise in online attacks, security tools have become something Web browser makers can use to try to stand out. Microsoft plans to include features to protect Web surfers against online scams in Internet Explorer 7, due later in 2006. Similar functionality is already in Netscape 8 and Opera 8, both released last year.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bush2000; firefox; phishing
Cool. Firefox may catch up to the IE beta (which already has this feature). Nice "innovation" there.
1 posted on 03/09/2006 10:32:06 AM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

It's nothing more than an integration of the Google Safe Browsing extension... which has been available for months prior to the release of IE7 beta2 preview.

Nice try.


2 posted on 03/09/2006 10:33:06 AM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

The most reliable phishing shield is one's brain.

Banks talk themselves blue in the face stating categorically that they will never send e-mails asking customers to log in or provide password information and obviously any e-mail from a bank will be personally addressed, not just sent to 'customer' or 'user.' Still, it seems to be a regressive tax on ignorance.

It's always amusing to track down the *real* URL/IP that the phishers are using and find out its location and/or who has registered the domain.

Unfortunately, all the bluster about catching these people seems to be just that. We have nailed precious few spammers and phishers never seem to be prosecuted. Shame.


3 posted on 03/09/2006 10:35:15 AM PST by relictele (No, I don't have a discount card. Yes, I know about the program. No, I don't wish to join today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen

Exactly my point, thanks.


4 posted on 03/09/2006 10:38:12 AM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

Your point was that Firefox is playing catchup, when in fact it's been ahead the entire time.


5 posted on 03/09/2006 10:40:25 AM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

Gee, and when is IE gonna 'catch up' with Firefox's RSS capabilities?

When will Outlook Express 'catch up' with Thunderbird and offer an Address Book whitelist mail rule right out of the box?

Useless questions, IMO.

At the end of the day, the feature sets of the Microsoft and Mozilla products will NEVER be the same, and which you use -- which is 'best' for you -- will always be based upon your preferences and needs. So don't go trying to start a pissing contest over it.


6 posted on 03/09/2006 10:46:46 AM PST by HKMk23 (Tengo una remera del Che y no se por que.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
Your point was that Firefox is playing catchup, when in fact it's been ahead the entire time.

Cool. So where can I download this anti-phishing feature for Firefox?
7 posted on 03/09/2006 10:55:19 AM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: HKMk23
Useless questions, IMO.

More to the point, everybody borrows good ideas from other people. Too often, open source fanatics seem to think that they are the sole arbiters of "innovation".
8 posted on 03/09/2006 10:57:05 AM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash
Right here.
9 posted on 03/09/2006 11:11:35 AM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash
Too often, open source fanatics seem to think that they are the sole arbiters of "innovation".

Well, for one thing, open source projects typically don't have the kinds of budgets that guys at places like Microsoft have, so I'm comfortable with the notion that they have more reason to be ecstatic about their accomplishments. Also, all of this hype is in the classic language of new product marketing, and open source projects aren't the only ones who speak that language. We hear the same "gee whiz" mantras every time MS begins the release cycle of a new OS. We hear it every time any company does something a bit different.

Just two examples of the cuff, here. Remember the marketing language surrounding the advent of Windows 3.0? "When do you want to crash, today?" Were you among those cursed with AutoCAD R13? Then R13a, 13b and, finally, a relatively stable 13c? These were just a bit longer on hype than they were on performance and they weren't open source products.

So, I have a hard time singling out the open source teams for culpability in over-hyping their stuff. Everyone who's spent any appreciable number of years using software has, at least once, run into an app or an OS that just doesn't live up to the hype of its marketing media. I'm not saying that's excusable, but there are many big names on that list, and most of those names do not belong to open source product development teams.

10 posted on 03/09/2006 11:26:00 AM PST by HKMk23 (Tengo una remera del Che y no se por que.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
Big deal. The same functionality already exists for previous versions of IE: http://toolbar.netcraft.com/help/tutorials/using.html

The point is ... it's probable that most Firefox users aren't going to download Google's plug-in because they aren't aware of the threat of phishing -- or the applicability of the plug-in. IE has *built-in* that functionality. So, quite obviously, Firefox is playing catch-up. Regardless of what you think.
11 posted on 03/10/2006 3:55:19 PM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

The Netcraft toolbar is also available for Firefox.

"it's probable that most Firefox users aren't going to download Google's plug-in because they aren't aware of the threat of phishing"

Neither are IE's users, of which there are far more. Why is this even relevant to the idea of integrated anti-phishing? Firefox has had anti-phishing features in one form or another before IE7. And regardless of who had it first, both browsers are incorporating anti-phishing technology, and that is to be praised, not bashed because you don't like one browser or the other.

Get a life. It's software.


12 posted on 03/10/2006 4:12:02 PM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
Neither are IE's users, of which there are far more. Why is this even relevant to the idea of integrated anti-phishing?

It's not that complicated. IE is the first to integrate effective anti-phishing tech.
13 posted on 03/12/2006 8:55:01 AM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

What is it with you and your attempts at denigrating non-IE browsers? It is irrelevant which browser was "first" with integrated anti-phishing, a caveat you only recently applied to your argument: both are offering it. IE7 final will have it, Firefox 2.0 will have it, and the web will be made better because of it.

Get a life. It's only sofware.


14 posted on 03/12/2006 9:52:33 AM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
What is it with you and your attempts at denigrating non-IE browsers?

Who's "denigrating non-IE browsers"? That's a product of your own mind. I'm merely stating facts.
15 posted on 03/13/2006 5:14:56 PM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

No, you are not stating the facts--you weren't even in possession of the facts regarding Firefox's anti-phishing options until I told you about them. You also cast the first stone by erroneously saying Firefox lacked anti-phishing tech of any sort.

Get a life. It's only software.


16 posted on 03/13/2006 5:21:25 PM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
...Firefox's anti-phishing options until I told you about them.

Firefox doesn't currently have any anti-phishing options. To get those, you have to turn to third parties.
17 posted on 03/14/2006 2:59:06 PM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

That's like saying Firefox lacks in-depth tab control features because you have to download an extension to get them.

Get a life. It's software.


18 posted on 03/14/2006 3:04:03 PM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Terpfen
That's like saying Firefox lacks in-depth tab control features because you have to download an extension to get them.

Um, no. It's not. But go ahead and believe whatever your ideological mind wants to believe.
19 posted on 03/14/2006 4:06:49 PM PST by DemosCrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: DemosCrash

Um, yes, it is.

Get a life. It's only software.


20 posted on 03/14/2006 4:09:49 PM PST by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson