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Thread ID: 61784	2005-09-16 11:20:00	Adaware, Spyware and FireFox	lazydog (148)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
388689	2005-09-16 11:20:00	I've been using Firefox for about a year now i do regular scans with Adaware and Spybot;search and destroy probably about once a week. Since using Firefox I've never had any spyware or adaware which is great but what i'm curious about is.... Has anyone had any adaware/spyware using firefox? Is there any adaware/ spyware targeted towards Firefox or is it all aimed at IE?. Will people start targeting firefox now that its getting more popular or can it not be done because of the way firefox is coded/written? Just curious.	lazydog (148)
388690	2005-09-16 11:27:00	You can still get spyware and viruses while using Firefox, though not as many as IE. The reason for that being (IMHO) is that by far a majority of people use IE. If Opera or Firefox were the predominant browsers, you would probably see more spyware etc aimed at these 2 browsers than IE. Similar story with Windows and Linux. If Linux were the majority O/S, then more viruses would probably be written for it. But since Windows is the O/S a majority of people use, then Windows and its users is the more attractive target (more users == more potential consumers). Where viruses are concerned, more users == more potential victims; which == greater effect	Myth (110)
388691	2005-09-16 11:30:00	I agree, if the full force of the ****bags out there turned against Firefox they would kill it, render it useless in short order. IE is the main target due to market share and its got a soft underbelly.	Metla (12)
388692	2005-09-16 11:30:00	there are netscape style spyware plugins which run on most alternative browsers. useing firefox,mozilla,opera etc simply reduces the risk of being infect THROUGH the browser. it won't stop any that come bundled with other programs. the netscape style plugins are not as powerfull/feature rich as MS's activeX, you don't have nice features like auto download and install. the fact that the user has to install the plugin reduces the risk quiet a lot.	tweak'e (69)
388693	2005-09-16 11:38:00	If someone wrote a code for a cookie that targets firefox then would Adaware & Spybot pick it up or are their definition files written for IE?.	lazydog (148)
388694	2005-09-16 11:40:00	That was the entire reason for Spybot 1.4...	Metla (12)
388695	2005-09-16 12:02:00	The main reason you don't get the spyware on Firefox is the fact it doesn't od ActiveX. You may get malicious firefox extensions though (or flaws that allow code to be executed). Some spyware in IE also targets flaws to allow it to be installed. Some maclious software is trying to install as Java applets these days too (which means that what bowser you use don't matter). Even in OS X these days they display prompts to warn you that downloaded files may contain executable code. You just anyways have to be wary of installing software if you cannot trust the source of it (nothing new there). The role of a web browser would be to prevent automatic installs and (hopefully) provide a warning befire allowing you to install. Preventing spyware and relatives requires user education and technology safeguards :2cents:	gibler (49)
388696	2005-09-16 12:12:00	Thats cleared it up for me. Thanks for the replies.	lazydog (148)
388697	2005-09-16 21:14:00	AND!! It depends what you do on the net. Most people I see with tons of the stuff are doing such things as music downloading, other dodgy software downloading and the like.	pctek (84)
388698	2005-09-16 22:14:00	One other way that people get stung when using IE is trying to close those nasty little popup windows that ask if you want to install this great little program, Yes or No but No actually does the same as Yes - installs it regardless and wham! you're in trouble . Not having those popups popping up all the time gives you one less method of infection to worry about . Also, Opera and Firefox are updated within a day or two when new serious vulnerabilities are discovered, unlike IE which can take weeks and sometimes months to get updated .	FoxyMX (5)
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