Mozilla: the test of browsers of Microsoft – utter nonsense

Microsoft started the website where it is possible to define the security level of browsers IE, Chrome from Google and Firefox from Mozilla. The website yourbrowsermatters.org uses the identifier of the browser agent for its assessment: from 0 to 4. IE9 - the latest version of the browser of Microsoft, got the highest point - 4, and IE8 – 3. However to versions of browsers of monthly prescription of Chrome and Firefox dostatolos in rating the last place with 2.5 and 2 points respectively.

Mozilla stated that this technique is frivolous. Johnathan Nightingale, the director of Firefox of developments, answered that Mozilla is proud of the old confirmed advantage in questions of protection. "We consider that safe stay in network means existence of the reliable browser which will protect from malware and a phishing, contains the new technologies helping the websites and users to secure itself and also a security service which will quickly and reliably provide protection updates", - he emphasized.

Naytingeyl subjected to sharp criticism the test of Microsoft, having noted for an example that it lacks assessment of at least three criteria: HSTS, the Do Not Track function and a set-up time of the adjusting patch.

HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) is still unconfirmed standard allowing the server of the website to announce browsers need of connection only using encrypted link of communication, such as HTTPS. Firefox and Chrome from Google support HSTS, there is no Internet Explorer.

HSTS and the protected connections became widely known a year ago when the developer from Seattle Eric Butler released ^[1] - the addition for Firefox allowing "practically to any" to scan Wi-fi network and to intercept the user access to networks Facebook, Twitter and a set of other services.

Do Not Track is the function of cover for sales of browsers allowing users to prohibit tracking them to websites and advertisers, was also topical issue this year. Firefox joined this general hobby in January of last year and in March this functionality was included in version 4. Its essence that at each HTTP request of the page the mechanism of protection against tracking transfers to the website the special information specifying that the user does not wish that monitored it.

In March, 2010 Microsoft added the concept of functionality of Do Not Track developed by Mozilla to the IE9, as own approach under the name "Tracking Protection" what announced in the end of the year.

The third aspect which Naytingeyl criticized in this testing is that it does not consider time of an exit of the adjusting patches. One more stone in a kitchen garden of IE: Mozilla updates Firefox corrections of a security system each six weeks while Microsoft IE issues the patches of times in two months.

Google did not comment on Chrome assessment yet. According to records of WHOIS service, Microsoft registered the website .org - the top-level domain reserved, as a rule, for non-profit organizations in July of last year.

Notes

^[1] Firesheep — addition to the Firefox browser uses a sniffer of packets for interception of not ciphered cookie from popular websites, for example Facebook and Twitter transferred on network.