NSS Labs has conducted two tests to find out which browsers are safest. The criteria include the browsers ability to block Web sites pushing malware and phising.
The browsers compared are Apple’s Safari 4, Google’s Chrome 2, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3 and Opera 10 Beta.
IE8 won the malware tests hands down. It blocked 81% of live threats compared to its closest contender Firefox 3.0.11 which blocked 27% of malwares. Safari 4 came in third place with 21%, followed by Chrome 2’s 7% and Opera 10 beta’s 1%.
The results showed that Microsoft updates their lists of malware faster than the other browsers, three of which are using Google’s Safe Browsing API.
IE8 also topped NSS’s Phishing Tests, blocking 83% of phishing URLS. Firefox wasn’t that far behind though, with 80% of phishing URLs blocked. Opera 10 beta is next with 54%, followed by Chrome 2 with 26% and Safari 4 at 2%.
User’s however, should not just rely on these protections. To be on the safe side, good anti-virus software, a firewall, DEP, ASLR and up-to-date patches on the system is still the best way to go. 😉
