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Securing Firefox With Extensions
David Utter
Staff Writer
2006-03-21
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A handful of extensions for the Firefox web browser can help users enjoy a safer surfing experience on the Internet.
 | | Securing Firefox |  |
My fellow writer Jason Lee Miller isn't a big fan of Macromedia's Flash. Though he enjoys the many uses developers have crafted with Flash technology, like this, sometimes Flash gets in the way of his research.
As a Firefox fan, he will appreciate the effort made by web application security expert Ed Finkler, the Web and Security Archive Administrator for CERIAS.
Finkler's latest post on "Useful Firefox Security Extensions" lists several that can enhance the Firefox user experience.
He has found that "some of the best security features of Firefox are only available as extensions." One extension he lists, NoScript, already rates as one of the most popular extensions for Firefox.
But our Jason will like FlashBlock, which should speed up his experience. Finkler described the extension and his rationale for including it in his list:
Flash hasn't been quite as popular an attack vector as Javascript, but it still potentially could be a threat, and it's often an annoyance. This extension disables all embedded Flash elements by default (score one for securing things by default), allowing you to click to activate a particular one if you like.
Finkler also noted extensions like Add n' Edit Cookies, LiveHTTPHeaders, and Tamper Data probably have greater application for web developers.
But the SpoofStick extension, which helps users catch spoofing attempts, probably has more utility for the non-technical user who would rather know when a purported link to a bank actually goes to a Venezuelan server instead.
Finkler presents a useful list, particularly for the security-minded web developer set. And FlashBlock has made one writer a happier person today, too.
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About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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