Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft) • Hacker News Board

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#11

Post by dubcanada » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:05 PM UTC

What a load of garbage

"Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that protect against arbitrary data execution?

Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that randomize the memory layout to make it harder for attackers to find their target?"

I got a checkmark on both those. Yet I'm running Mac.

I also got an "X" on "Does the browser help protect you from websites that are known to distribute socially engineered malware?" yet I'm running Chrome, and little do Microsoft know but Google keeps an entire db of "socially engineered malware" and disallows you to access it.

Good old Microsoft trash browser stats, just like the old IE is the safest browser one.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#12

Post by kevinalexbrown » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:06 PM UTC

wickedchicken wrote: post #2

No love if you're running linux :/

yeah man, that OS is so unsafe. Better get some Windows!

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#13

Post by barista » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:16 PM UTC

kevinalexbrown wrote: post #12

wickedchicken wrote: post #2

No love if you're running linux :/

yeah man, that OS is so unsafe. Better get some Windows!

Thats not the point. Its Microsoft. Why do you think they care if you run any operating system other than theirs? The point of the website. is: If you are running windows, see how safe your browser is.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#14

Post by barista » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:19 PM UTC

dubcanada wrote: post #11

What a load of garbage "Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that protect against arbitrary data execution? Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that randomize the memory layout to make it harder for attackers to find their target?" I got a checkmark on both those. Yet I'm running Mac. I also got an "X" on "Does the browser help protect you from websites that are…

I think the site is about browsers running on Microsoft's OS. Microsoft doesn't need to worry or evaluate browsers on other operating systems. They only want people who are already running windows to evaluate if they are running a safe browser thats it.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#15

Post by sthlm » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:26 PM UTC

51Cards wrote: post #3

So Firefox 3.6 scores 1.5, Firefox 7.01 scores 2, Chrome Win (14.0.835) scores 2.5, while IE 8 gets a 3? Safari for Windows isn't even recognized.

Your scores aren't necessarily representative for the browsers you mentioned, as the outcome of some of those tests depend on your browser/system settings.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#16

Post by iamben » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

Site doesn't even render in IE6 on XP. Not sure if that's a good thing or not.

IE7 on XP scores 1. That's something, I suppose.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#17

Post by iansinke » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:47 PM UTC

tl;dr: Firefox is 2, Chrome is 2.5, IE is 4. (Out of 4, of course. And assuming latest versions.)

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#18

Post by pork » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:49 PM UTC

dubcanada wrote: post #11

What a load of garbage "Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that protect against arbitrary data execution? Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that randomize the memory layout to make it harder for attackers to find their target?" I got a checkmark on both those. Yet I'm running Mac. I also got an "X" on "Does the browser help protect you from websites that are…

> Good old Microsoft trash browser stats, just like the old IE is the safest browser one.

In fairness, running IE6 is soon going to be like running Firefox with NoScript, so it might actually be more safe, just like Lynx.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#19

Post by dmaz » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 6:49 PM UTC

sthlm wrote: post #15

51Cards wrote: post #3

So Firefox 3.6 scores 1.5, Firefox 7.01 scores 2, Chrome Win (14.0.835) scores 2.5, while IE 8 gets a 3? Safari for Windows isn't even recognized.

Your scores aren't necessarily representative for the browsers you mentioned, as the outcome of some of those tests depend on your browser/system settings.

The scores are predetermined, according to http://yourbrowsermatters.org/docs/methodology.pdf

Most of the security features that were included in the score are publically documented by the browser manufacturers and the presence can be verified directly through the browser itself. Additionally, tools like the Sys Internals process expirer were used to verify the use of DEP, Protected Mode, and ASLR.

Re: Test your browser's safety (according to Microsoft)

#20

Post by dlikhten » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 7:03 PM UTC

dubcanada wrote: post #11

What a load of garbage "Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that protect against arbitrary data execution? Does the browser benefit from Windows Operating System features that randomize the memory layout to make it harder for attackers to find their target?" I got a checkmark on both those. Yet I'm running Mac. I also got an "X" on "Does the browser help protect you from websites that are…

I'm surprised "does your browser's name start with IE and end with 10 (only valid data in between is \s*)?"

Double awesome points for checkmark for windows-only features on a mac.

I BET once that is discovered the site will browser-sniff.

The "known malware" is an interesting thing. That may be pre-canned inside the browser. I rather my browser have that knowlege, and update a master list hourly, than send info to google to ask "is this ok"... IDK what chrome does so can use some citation on this info.