Better Malware and Phishing Detection in the Browser
Mozilla Firefox 3, as it is currently planned, will include better malware and phishing detection according to Security News. These are welcome additions, especially if they are as easy to use as intended. We've seen too many examples of poor security practices because their use or set up is too difficult for average users. And statistics from Gartner indicate phishing losses per victim have increased from $257 in 2004 to $1,244 in 2006. Mozilla's planned features are a step in the right direction.
Here is how they will work:
The anti-malware mechanism will block access to known malware-infested hosts:
Instead of giving users the choice of visiting a suspected malicious site, when Firefox 3 encounters a site that is known or suspected of hosting malware, it will prevent the user from actually connecting to the site. It also will throw up a full-page warning that tells the user that the site is known to be an attack/malware-hosting site and Firefox is preventing the user from connecting to it. Firefox 3 also will allow users to report suspect sites that the browser doesn't yet recognize as being malicious.
The anti-phishing features will give users the option of proceeding to a suspected phishing site:
The phishing protection takes the form of a red icon in the address bar and an accompanying pop-up dialog box warning the user that the site he's visiting is a suspected phishing site. The user will have the option of closing the box and continuing on to the suspicious site or being redirected away from it.
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