A common question our customers ask is, “Which web browser should I use?” The answer to this question is as varied as the answer to which style of shoes you should wear, or what type of car you should drive. Your needs, your profession, your environment and your personal preference all play a role in this answer.
For the most part, the top named web browsers are all capable of performing the same functions with similar results and comparable speeds. We commonly see our customers using Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera. Professional analysts could show you charts and graphs with benchmarks (performance and stress tests) indicating which browsers performed which functions faster. Ultimately, these are just numbers. Your experience will vary based on the resources of your machines, other programs that interact with the browser and certain websites, as well as your own practices. For example, Internet Explorer may work best on your office computer, but Google Chrome may work best on your home PC. You might prefer the way Firefox is more customizable, or the way Opera allows you to use a built in email program, or how Safari has a less confusing interface or Google Chrome supports desktop apps. All have positives as well as negatives.
Another aspect to consider is security. We commonly have customer tell us how they heard “Internet Explorer is less secure,” or “it’s easier for hackers to monitor your activity when you use Mozilla Firefox.” To set the record straight, no browser is “the most secure browser.” Malicious people are always trying to gain access to your computers and your data. Your operating system, your web browsers and any other software are all paths through which these malicious people could trick you into gaining access to your information. These same people understand the best way to inflict the most damage would be to attack the most popular software. They figure there’s no point in robbing a bank where nobody saves their money. As one web browser becomes more popular than another, “hackers” will start spending more of their time finding ways to attack you there rather than waste time with less popular browsers.
As these malicious people start exploiting security holes in your web browser, the software developers will release updates to correct them. Once updated, the browser becomes more secure and safer to use, until the next security issue is discovered. Web browsers also use other software to help display certain kinds of web content. Your machine may have more/less programs, but the two most common programs are Adobe Flash and Oracle Java. The interaction between these programs and your browser creates another potential security concern, but it is ultimately resolved in the same way with updates. Keeping these programs current will greatly improve the security of your computer. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there will always be security concerns for your computer. There is no way to know which browser will become the next target, and most developers are so quick to resolve any problems, keeping your updates current is the best practice no matter which browser you prefer.
As Flash Tech., Inc. becomes aware of these kinds of security concerns, we will post information on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Be sure to follow us for recent security notifications.
Which web browser should i use?
A common question our customers ask is, “Which web browser should I use?” The answer to this question is as varied as the answer to which style of shoes you should wear, or what type of car you should drive. Your needs, your profession, your environment and your personal preference all play a role in this answer.
For the most part, the top named web browsers are all capable of performing the same functions with similar results and comparable speeds. We commonly see our customers using Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera. Professional analysts could show you charts and graphs with benchmarks (performance and stress tests) indicating which browsers performed which functions faster. Ultimately, these are just numbers. Your experience will vary based on the resources of your machines, other programs that interact with the browser and certain websites, as well as your own practices. For example, Internet Explorer may work best on your office computer, but Google Chrome may work best on your home PC. You might prefer the way Firefox is more customizable, or the way Opera allows you to use a built in email program, or how Safari has a less confusing interface or Google Chrome supports desktop apps. All have positives as well as negatives.
Another aspect to consider is security. We commonly have customer tell us how they heard “Internet Explorer is less secure,” or “it’s easier for hackers to monitor your activity when you use Mozilla Firefox.” To set the record straight, no browser is “the most secure browser.” Malicious people are always trying to gain access to your computers and your data. Your operating system, your web browsers and any other software are all paths through which these malicious people could trick you into gaining access to your information. These same people understand the best way to inflict the most damage would be to attack the most popular software. They figure there’s no point in robbing a bank where nobody saves their money. As one web browser becomes more popular than another, “hackers” will start spending more of their time finding ways to attack you there rather than waste time with less popular browsers.
As these malicious people start exploiting security holes in your web browser, the software developers will release updates to correct them. Once updated, the browser becomes more secure and safer to use, until the next security issue is discovered. Web browsers also use other software to help display certain kinds of web content. Your machine may have more/less programs, but the two most common programs are Adobe Flash and Oracle Java. The interaction between these programs and your browser creates another potential security concern, but it is ultimately resolved in the same way with updates. Keeping these programs current will greatly improve the security of your computer. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there will always be security concerns for your computer. There is no way to know which browser will become the next target, and most developers are so quick to resolve any problems, keeping your updates current is the best practice no matter which browser you prefer.
As Flash Tech., Inc. becomes aware of these kinds of security concerns, we will post information on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Be sure to follow us for recent security notifications.
www.facebook.com/FlashTechInc
www.twitter.com/FlashTechInc
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