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IE8 SmartScreen thwarts 1 billionth malware download
SmartScreen is one of the many way IE8 is a big upgrade from previous versions of Microsoft's browser, and clearly a feature which is helping combat the rising tide of malware on the Web. While this is great news, it's a little bittersweet for me as a technician.
Judging by what I see on my service bench, IE8 users have clearly managed to persevere in the face of adversity. Their systems are typically more malware-laden than users who know about and use an alternative web browser.
Sigh.
[via The Windows Blog]
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsDrennorJul 23rd 2010 3:16PM
the title should read 1 billion instead of 8 billion
216Jul 23rd 2010 3:28PM
Yea 1 Billion and 8 Billion is a pretty big difference. Still 1 Billion is alot tho.
Jeff GodfreyJul 23rd 2010 3:58PM
Regarding this:
> Their systems are typically more malware-laden than users who know about and use an alternative web browser.
I'd guess that's related to the fact that Users with alternative browsers are probably more tech-savvy to begin with.
stinlen56Jul 23rd 2010 5:14PM
That was my thought too. Correlation vs causality can be tricky.
KualaBeeJul 23rd 2010 3:58PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94v1MdMcxk
This online security person in the video reviewed and tested IE 8 smartscreen filter and found it the best comparing it in a group consisting of IE8, Firefox, and Chrome.
However, from my personal experience IE 8 smartscreen filter hasn't been anymore effective than Google Safe browsing filter in Firefox or Chrome.
N900Jul 23rd 2010 4:00PM
Well, if there's any good news that can come out of this, Firefox 3.6.7 got released today. =P
KualaBeeJul 23rd 2010 4:25PM
Even though I use Firefox for my main browser, this bit of news is unsettling. If true, then this exploit is potentially catastrophic if it is/if/already goes into the wild.
"A security expert recently announced that he will demonstrate how Javascript can be used to ascertain stored passwords from systems running Firefox at next week’s Black Hat Conference."
http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/About/Security-News/?title=Security-expert-to-expose-Mozilla-password-vulnerabilities-at-next-week-s-Black-Hat-Conference-19900021
JonnyJul 24th 2010 11:14AM
For every 1 billion caught there was probably 20 billion not. I hope IE9 takes things a few notches up.
AJNorthJul 24th 2010 11:13PM
Another useful (and free) safe web-browsing add-on is Web Of Trust (http://www.mywot.com/), which is available for IE, Firefox and Chrome.
Also, changing one's DNS to OpenDNS (http://www.opendns.com/) affords yet another layer of safety.
Both also offer a measure of useful parental control.