Quote Originally Posted by Moonbat
mike*0*, You are saying that only *0% of people use Firefox, right? So hackers won't target it, because so few people use it.

This is a destructive combo. Here it is.

*. *0% use it, therefore it is targeted less by hackers
2. Someone notices this, then tells others to use Firefox
*. Many people join, and tell others who tell others who tell others who tell others....
4. Let's say in a year nearly 60% of people now use it, thinking that only *0% of people use it, so that means they aren't going to get h4x0r*d
5. But they are wrong. Hackers now catch on to the fact that many people are joining Firefox, lured by the sense of security. They now focus on Firefox
6. Soon, smart people start using a new browser I'll call Finkle. They swtich for the same reason people switched to Firefox
7. Repeat steps *-5, replacing Firefox with Finkle.
Yeah, but as I said above:

think security is not an issue here - every piece of software is going to have bugs so smart people run an AV and a firewall. But out of the question "Which browser offers the best online experience", firefox wins every time.
Every browser will encounter vulnerabilities which compromise its users' security. Firefox may not be currently targeted but it will be in the end, so security is not a factor in this argument.

What we have to look at is which browser gives the best browsing experience - and anyone who says IE is just a microsoft fanboy. Other browsers clearly have greater functionality and features.

If someone runs antivirus and firewall programs, they reduce the risk of malware infection to almost zero. Antivirus programs can usually detect exploit code before it takes effect (unless 0-day), and even when it doesn't detect the code it will detect the payload arriving in the form of a common piece of malware (because **% of exploit users are script kiddies). Antivirus programs can also prevent users from downloading and running malware unless they explicitly choose to run it.

Say a user somehow manages to install malware on his/her computer. The firewall will prevent the software from sending away any personal details, so the only thing which could happen is either a virus infection, data deletion, or a ransomware attack. They don't stand to lose anything which can't be solved with a re-install.

So the point is, if a user takes necessary precautions, their browser is irrelevant for security. As long as they stay smart and don't trust untrusted software or unsolicited emails, they will be fine.