Browser makers throw up drive-by download barriers

[Osiris]

Opera has partnered with Haute Secure in a bid to defend surfers from drive-by download attacks.
Haute Secure's technology will be bundled in Opera 9.5, bolstering the Norwegian firm's existing Fraud Protection technology with software designed to block malware downloads from compromised websites. Opera 9.5, codenamed Kestrel, is due out this summer.

As well as blocking hacker-controlled websites the technology will protect Opera users from harm after clicking on links that lead to malicious script or malware. This type of protection has become more important as changes in hacking tactics have resulted in more frequent incidents of malware appearing on legitimate websites.
AVG acquired Exploit Prevention Labs last December to gets its hands on the latter's Linkscanner technology, which probes links for signs of suspicious content, such as pointers to encrypted JavaScript files, on analysed sites. Both Linkscanner and Haute Secure's technology look at individual pages or links rather than a site as a whole.
Both technologies are designed to guard against drive-by download attacks. Haute Secure's technology is based on a database of known bad sites whereas Linkscanner leans more on real-time analysis.
In related browser security news, Mozilla developers have begun work on a browser plug-in designed to protect against a common range of web application vulnerabilities that feature in drive-by download attacks and other hacking attacks. Site Security Policy (SSP) aims to pull the sting from cross site scripting and cross site request forgery attacks. A beta version of the add-on can be downloaded here.
The SSP plug-in is separate to the development of Firefox 3, which reached the second release candidate milestone last week.

Browser makers throw up drive-by download barriers | The Register

 

[KSoD]

w00t!!

People say firefox is better. Not even they have anything like this...

 

[MrCoffee]

Adblock Plus
NoScript
Flashblock

Job done.

 

[KSoD]

Opera

Done. No extensions needed. But if you want to block ads.

Opera
urlfilter.ini

Job Done with less mess.

 

[Kharn]

Opera is looking better all the time as my main browser.

 

[KSoD]

Saxon you check out that UserJS area i linked you to before to find some extensions for Opera?

 

[MrCoffee]

Well I list adblock plus not specifically for its ad blocking powers but because it blocks XSS (cross site scripting) which was mentioned in the article.

I like opera, much as I like Linux, but both fail in the same way - they just don't support everything I want. Opera is getting better all the time but its still not quite there in my estimation.

 

[KSoD]

But that is your personal preference. That is not the preference of others. It may not do everything you want but there are things that Firefox doesnt do either that people like Opera for. Just like there are things that IE can do that both FIrefox and Opera cant.

There is no browser that can meet the needs, requirements and wants of every user. I have used Firefox 3 since it was Beta and still continue to use it. I support those that do use it and everything. But i am tired of people trying to force Firefox on users. It is not our choice to decide what is right for them.

I have stopped going into Firefox threads and saying Opera FTW!!! I just want the same respect from the Firefox users to leave Opera topic to the Opera users. To come in and talk about Firefox is only asking for fights. You like Firefox that is fine. I use it and it is good for its purpose. But please dont go into a Opera topic to promote Firefox. All it does is cause trouble.

 

[MrCoffee]

Mak, I didn't post in this thread to bash Opera but merely to make some relevant observations, I'm quite happy for people to use what ever browser they chose and in fact I've used all three at different times, though predominantly firefox.
Heck I like Opera, if it met my needs I'd happily use it over Firefox - admittedly I haven't used Opera since version 9 first came out but at that time I found its website compatibility an issue.
My first post was in direct response to your first post which implied, or which I thought implied, that Firefox is incapable of being secure against "drive-by" download attacks. I wasn't intending to imply that Firefox is superior or that this development in Opera is insignificant, I wasn't promoting Firefox at all, just making what I though was a relevant point.

 

[KSoD]

I did not imply that Firefox could not do that. As i haev said many times in other threads that Firefox with the 3 extensions make the safest possible browser. My first comment was a joke, Hence the in there. It was just a slight comment since so many people think that there are no other borswers out there than can be as secure are Firefox which is also not true.