OT - Firefox
 

Keeping this strictly as having to do with Firefox being run in a Win OS:

One financial institution recently made a big deal about their enhanced
internet security and seems to have cozied up to Symantec to demonstrate
their concerns. The root cause appears to be that a good deal of
users don't even use anti-virus.

Anyway, so they tout a special access to super duper symantec who will
graciously perform a "security scan" especially for their customers in
addition to offer special pricing. The "security scan" is touted to
test "computer vulnerability to online threats".

On my way in, I didn't allow all the cookies - and got a message to the
effect that "IE 5.0 or higher is required". Having seen this bugaboo
before being related somehow to the cookie rejection - odd how super
duper symantec can't just say, "no cookies no action" or suggest how to
manipulate the cookies in IE - I clear and re-enter allowing cookies for
the session and end up being offered the exact same scan you can find below.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...ice/index.html

If you run the scan from inside Firefox MY results indicate, aside from
symantec interpreting router and beyond behavior for computer behavior,
that some checks don't complete because they require IE 5.0 or greater.

Does this mean that Symantec is ignoring Firefox users (and all other
browser users) and ignoring the possibility of browser exploits - and
more importantly, are there valid security concerns that a user may
need to know about?

What relevance does this have considering Firefox incapabilities inside
some financial (and other) sites - particularly the areas indicated as
"SECURE"?



--
JMark

OT - Firefox
 

On Mon, 22 May 2006 18:18:12 +0000, JMark wrote:

Keeping this strictly as having to do with Firefox being run in a Win OS:

One financial institution recently made a big deal about their enhanced
internet security and seems to have cozied up to Symantec to demonstrate
their concerns. The root cause appears to be that a good deal of
users don't even use anti-virus.

Anyway, so they tout a special access to super duper symantec who will
graciously perform a "security scan" especially for their customers in
addition to offer special pricing. The "security scan" is touted to
test "computer vulnerability to online threats".

On my way in, I didn't allow all the cookies - and got a message to the
effect that "IE 5.0 or higher is required". Having seen this bugaboo
before being related somehow to the cookie rejection - odd how super
duper symantec can't just say, "no cookies no action" or suggest how to
manipulate the cookies in IE - I clear and re-enter allowing cookies for
the session and end up being offered the exact same scan you can find below.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...ice/index.html

If you run the scan from inside Firefox MY results indicate, aside from
symantec interpreting router and beyond behavior for computer behavior,
that some checks don't complete because they require IE 5.0 or greater.

Does this mean that Symantec is ignoring Firefox users (and all other
browser users)

Yes, and most other larger vendors do also.

and ignoring the possibility of browser exploits - and
more importantly, are there valid security concerns that a user may
need to know about?

Not knowing exactly what threats are alarming everyone there, the biggest
threat is using out of date software or incorrectly using good software.

Mozilla crew updates patches faster than MS it seems to me, so if what
you are saying is you are afraid of a security hole being ignored, I
don't think you would have to worry about it unless you weren't updating
the softweare. True for all software and OS's.

What relevance does this have considering Firefox incapabilities inside
some financial (and other) sites - particularly the areas indicated as
"SECURE"?

I use mozilla for all my uses, including financial. I have no problems w/
access, though I do understand that a certain site could create the
problem. I had it happen once, about a year ago, might have been BofA or
MBNA, told the vendor I would have to stop doing business w/ them since
their webmaster is demanding I use insecure browsers in an insecure
environment. I guess a lot of others must have complained also, as the
structure of the site was quickly altered to allow mozilla browsers.
HTH
--
dw

OT - Firefox
 

linxlvr wrote:
On Mon, 22 May 2006 18:18:12 +0000, JMark wrote:

Keeping this strictly as having to do with Firefox being run in a Win OS:

One financial institution recently made a big deal about their enhanced
internet security and seems to have cozied up to Symantec to demonstrate
their concerns. The root cause appears to be that a good deal of
users don't even use anti-virus.

Anyway, so they tout a special access to super duper symantec who will
graciously perform a "security scan" especially for their customers in
addition to offer special pricing. The "security scan" is touted to
test "computer vulnerability to online threats".

On my way in, I didn't allow all the cookies - and got a message to the
effect that "IE 5.0 or higher is required". Having seen this bugaboo
before being related somehow to the cookie rejection - odd how super
duper symantec can't just say, "no cookies no action" or suggest how to
manipulate the cookies in IE - I clear and re-enter allowing cookies for
the session and end up being offered the exact same scan you can find below.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...ice/index.html

If you run the scan from inside Firefox MY results indicate, aside from
symantec interpreting router and beyond behavior for computer behavior,
that some checks don't complete because they require IE 5.0 or greater.

Does this mean that Symantec is ignoring Firefox users (and all other
browser users)

Yes, and most other larger vendors do also.

and ignoring the possibility of browser exploits - and
more importantly, are there valid security concerns that a user may
need to know about?

Not knowing exactly what threats are alarming everyone there, the biggest
threat is using out of date software or incorrectly using good software.

Mozilla crew updates patches faster than MS it seems to me, so if what
you are saying is you are afraid of a security hole being ignored, I
don't think you would have to worry about it unless you weren't updating
the softweare. True for all software and OS's.

What relevance does this have considering Firefox incapabilities inside
some financial (and other) sites - particularly the areas indicated as
"SECURE"?

I use mozilla for all my uses, including financial. I have no problems w/
access, though I do understand that a certain site could create the
problem. I had it happen once, about a year ago, might have been BofA or
MBNA, told the vendor I would have to stop doing business w/ them since
their webmaster is demanding I use insecure browsers in an insecure
environment. I guess a lot of others must have complained also, as the
structure of the site was quickly altered to allow mozilla browsers.
HTH

The speed of a patch is a good thing. That AVG and other free and
reputable security/spyware vendors seem well integrated with moz product
is good too. Knowing you're on the outside looking in - and the
reminders of quirky displays and functionality - versus steeling
yourself to drinking the Kool-Aid and using IE or an IE derivative makes
me uncomfortable with the "I don't think that..." that I'd like to
believe as well. Having watched the "extensions" site grow like a weed
- and considering some of the content - I just don't know. And not
knowing is the nit.

Inside Firefox - tools - extensions - "get more extensions".

I appreciate the reply.



--
JMark