Firefox: Unsafe for Business Applications

[MarkCuering]

well, maybe Bit9 is just giving Firefox a bad name or something. But if you come to think of it, a default installation of FF if used without security addons can still be penetrated by malwares.

Most Business computers behind a corporate firewall just installs the default installation of FF, and some users, knows how to bypass the firewall protection by using a proxy so there still a chance that FF is used to surf around a rouge website and may propagate trojans/worms around the company networks.

Well… that blog does not enforce that IE is most secured security starts from the user, not on any browsers.

Educated your Internet users, if you heard about Fortinet which we are using maybe you can try… it works best for us here, but not all the time, especially if you are dealing those tech guys who were fond of breaking IT rules and regulations, “THOU SHALL NOT USE ANY 3RD PARTY PROXY SITES” then they make their own different proxy redirection after they get back in their room using WIFI (company provide)

Dealing that kind of situation is far more difficult than someone who uses Firefox, vulnerabilities are expected in the first place especially to our windows users, which is the number 1 target platform from black hats…

Anti-virus now has a great offer too in Internet activity, even in Emails such as SPAM protection, like KASPERSKY and MCAFE for our server… its only up to the USER’s cooperation + IT teamwork to strengthen security.

[blackdronza]

FF is good,..
compared to IE,..
if you can configure FF + add-ons,..
then,..
you can never compare it to IE,..
IE crashes alot,..
lage pwamis,..
FF idol,..

Also, IE is very prone to malwares,spywares, and viruses than Firefox. Besides, Firefox is a cross-platform browser.

[cliff_drew]

I think these vulnerabilities are already addressed in Mozilla Firefox 3.0.4

[blackdronza]

I think these vulnerabilities are already addressed in Mozilla Firefox 3.0.4

But no so much in IE.

[missy21]

hmm...FF bya amu gamit na sa office...sauna kay IE..kay naa man gud to news about sa IE so shift daun mi ug FF.

[Visual C#]

I strongly disagree with this one… doesn’t obey Group Policy? Firefox is running on top of Operating System and applying Group Policy is one of the Operating System’s Security Option… and thus if you set something that users still able to install Firefox (it most common ways) then you’re not able to set it up properly. There’s a lot of security options that you can combined in Windows…

Security Policy, NTFS permission, Local Administrator rights, Domain Administrative rights, this includes a very basic Network addressing schemes where you only allows certain Network Address that can pass through your gateway (router) to used internet connection.

And now you’re talking about Proxy addons without any restrictions, where in the first place you can disable someones internet connectivity via network configuration, how much more if you combined this effectively in Local configuration.

Oh OK, so you can configure Firefox like this?

[krkchn]

Firefox has better securities than most Web browsers. Just don't save your password. Naa nyay manghilabot.

[Lord_Ac]

Just don't save your password. Naa nyay manghilabot.

I don't think that's the issue.

[MarkCuering]

Oh OK, so you can configure Firefox like this?

Sounds so odd why would someone configure firefox using local group policy

My previous post is a combination on how to use and deploy firefox effectively not just letting any users to install their own as this goes along with Domain & Local Policy settings.

However, to give you an answer... "YES"... we can control FIREFOX via GPO, but not on particular case you mean to say it here… if you are an Administrator and you are going to deploy FF over thousands of users, with offices kilometers away from each other, are you happy to deploy on that? How would you manage it effectively? it's a big NO NO Especially if you have some intranets or web based application such as SAP which need some credentials and certificates on browsers…

FF has a lot of development tools that allows you to hook on Windows successfully, there are even commercial sites offering this. hxxp://www.frontmotion.com/Firefox/ which they offers not only enabling Group Policy but packaging and extending components as well…

Security on browsers or let say "FIREFOX" for sake of the topic that we won't get far... is not impossible to apply. It's just a matter how the organization plan it... you can even control FF user profiles dumbing it to any of your live directories... plus adding some good Aanti-Virus, Network Firewalls at Fortiguard hxxp://www.fortiguardcenter.com/ which is available thru subscribtion or getting their own low cost hardware is granted helpful by all means of IT DISASTERS.

[MarkCuering]

related interesting topic: https://www.istorya.net/forums/progra...ware-list.html