Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome vs. Firefox

And again it is a customer's question that triggers me to write on this blog. The customer, thank you Steve H, asked simply "What is your opinion of Microsoft Edge vs Firefox?".

Here is my reply:

I strongly advise against using any web browser from Microsoft!

I collected some articles for your enjoyment that can give you some background for my various reasons. The articles quotes are in no particular sequence.

Test Link

Microsoft Edge introduces new security risks in Windows 10     https://betanews.com/2015/07/30/microsoft-edge-introduces-new-security-risks-in-windows-10/

IE, Edge Users at Risk from Serious Browser Security Flaw      https://www.tomsguide.com/us/edge-ie-flaw-no-fix,news-24565.html

Windows 10 users ignore Edge for a reason     https://betanews.com/2015/10/19/windows-10-users-ignore-microsoft-edge-for-a-reason/

Windows 10's new browser Microsoft Edge: Improved but also new risks     https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/windows-10s-new-browser-microsoft-edge-improved-but-also-new-risks/

Before you ask let me please preempt the question about Google Chrome vs. Firefox:

So far the main argument for Chrome was "it is faster". That was and is a phony argument that shows a deplorable lack of knowledge by the people using it. I'll give you an example.

Let's assume from the moment you click on a link to having the new web page in front of your eyes it takes all together 10 seconds.

90% of that time is needed to get the many little files that comprise a web page from the server these files reside on to your computer. We and/or the web browser have no way to make that faster.

The last 10% of the time is used by the web browser to "convert " the many little files into the picture we see; this process is called rendering. And that actually was where Chrome was faster.

MS Edge, the new version of Firefox and others have closed and/or eliminated that speed gap.

If Chrome were 30% faster in rendering the web page that would be only 0.3 seconds. Even in a direct A/B comparison we would not be able to experience that difference.

Additionally: The Chrome web store, from where you'd download any browser extension you might want or need, has been plagued by rogue extensions (only one example here, there are many more!). You may find way too late that the extension you downloaded and installed was rogue.

So for me it is clear:

No to Google Chrome and ANY Microsoft browser; IMHO the only well supported alternative is Firefox.


Stay safe.

WOT and the darned Purists at Mozilla

WOT vanished from many of my customers Firefox web browsers. I got some questions about that so here is my diatribe.

Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox web browser, is a European organization and over there they have a MUCH more narrow view of privacy issues. That is a double-edged sword.

WOT has a few month ago modified their end user license agreement to conform more closely to what the add-on all can do. No surprise to me that they collect some information on the things you search for and where you then click on. Google does that for years and nobody gives a hoot.

WOT finally made it public and Google and Mozilla went ballistic pulling the WOT extension (add-on) from their web sites. I am pretty livid but they don't listen to you or me.

WOT in the meantime has changed the wording of their end user license agreement and you again can get and run WOT in Goggle Chrome.

The Europeans don't seem to see the value of WOT for the normal non-geek end user and remain stubbornly on their negative stance towards WOT. 

And Mozilla even tricks people into disabling or removing WOT - despite the fact that there is no even remotely similar functionality available anywhere else.

It is a shame but I have to tell my customers that they have to use Google Chrome for their web searches if they want the advantages of WOT, naturally with WOT and a good Ad-Blocker installed. These get installed from within the web browser, they are extensions.


Currently IMHO only Adblock Plus from adblockplus.org and uBlock Origin qualify as "good" ad-blockers.


Supposedly WOT and Mozilla are working on a resolution but that already takes many months.

If you have an affected computer and on the desktop is a folder named "Old Firefox Data" I may be able to resurrect WOT; but that definitely would be a trial and error thing that I can not guarantee. But at least I can do it remotely. 

Stay safe.

NO to Google Chrome - Here is Why

Here is a quote from this article on The Register:

Chrome leads the browser pack with 504 reported vulnerabilities followed by Internet Explorer with 289 and Firefox with 171. Some 1035 flaws were reported across all browsers including Opera and Safari, up from 728 in 2013.

"Reported vulnerabilities" are in layman's terms known weaknesses in the program code of the web browser that have been or could eventually be used to hack through a given web browser into computers.

Why would a person want to willingly live with more risks than less?

This seems to me to be a good time to talk about the most common argument for Google Chrome, at least as far as I hear from my customers. The argument is "Yeah, but Chrome is faster". Mostly I get that from younger people or grandparents who quote family members or friends thereof.

That argument is "true" only to a laughably small effect that IMHO is totally irrelevant.

Every web page is made up of often numerous files; these files have to be transferred from the server computer of that web page into our computer. The time this transfer takes is solely dictated by the real life speed and performance of our Internet connection. Our computer and the web browser have next to no influence on that transfer.

Only after all the files that comprise the web page are on our computer the web browser can begin to build the visible web page on the screen. Yes, in doing this Google Chrome is faster than other browsers but this is maybe 10% of the total time it takes from us clicking on a link to the web page appearing on our screen.

Let me do the math for an extremely slow example: Assumed it takes 10 seconds from click to visible page (which is quite long!). 90% of this time is waiting for the transfer of the file(s), that is 9 out of 10 seconds; only 10% (equals 1 second) is what the browser takes to actually do it's job of giving us something to look at. Even if Google Chrome were 20% faster than another browser that would amount to being 0.2 seconds faster over all. That difference is well below what humans can perceive!

My point is: "Faster" is by no means "better"!

As usual I welcome comments and suggestions right here in the blog. Thank you in advance.

Stay safe.

AVG + Google Chrome = TROUBLE

Happy and healthy New Year to everybody!
... It's the first post in 2016 ...

The title describes the newest formula for disaster.

For years I have advised against using Google Chrome as your primary web browser.

For years I have advised against using AVG's free "security" programs.

Now this combination has become a wide open barn door for malicious software and/or viruses to take over your computer. You can read more about the details here.

If you use AVG I recommend to uninstall it and instead rely on Microsoft's Defender respectively Security Essentials in Windows 7. If you run into problems when you uninstall AVG you find AVG's special removal programs here. Take care to download the correct "bittedness" version for your version of Windows.

I you use Google Chrome I recommend to install Mozilla's Firefox browser; in Firefox you need to install two extensions or add-ons:

1. Adblock Plus and  
2. WOT (Web Of Trust)

After you install Firefox go to the Bookmarks manager (Bookmarks, Show All Bookmarks. Import and Backup, Import Data from Another Browser, select Google Chrome) and import bookmarks ONLY! When you have your bookmarks in Firefox please uninstall Google Chrome.

That plus some applied common sense is all you need to be and stay safe on the Internet.

If you want to do more against eventual advertisement malware and so called PUPs then download THE FREE version from here. Install Malwarebytes only AFTER you read this article about how to install and use it correctly.

Stay safe!

2015-08-27 WBKV Talking Points (August 27th 2015)

Windows 10

• For the unsuspecting home user I have decided to give clear warnings:
  Do Not Install Windows 10!
  In it's default settings Windows 10 does not respect even basic privacy.

Google Chrome's HTTPS extension can easily be turned OFF by visiting malicious web page!

• I can't say it often enough: Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT USE Google Chrome!
  About 50% of all malware infections I currently see happened when using Chrome!

Yahoo! slings viruses of he nasty sort – again!

• Original quote from The Register;
  “Yahoo! has been used to spread ransomware to Windows PCs almost exactly a year after he previous outbreak”.

Users of Apple anything: Check for updates!
Most anything from Apple is affected.

Do yo see advertisements?
Your computer IS NOT SAFE!
The Register: Internet lowlifes who used Yahoo! ads to infect potentially countless PCs with malware have struck again – using adverts on popular websites to reach millions more people. See this article.
Some affected web sites are ebay, Drudge Report, weather.com plus many others.
This campaign now resides on AOL.com For many years already I tell my customers

Do not use AOL, Yahoo, NetZero, Juno!

My customers have nothing to fear; IMHO a good ad-blocker is mandatory!

Hopefully listener calls with questions.

2015-08-06 WBKV Talking Points (August 6th 2015)

Windows 10

• If You use Symantec's Norton security software DO NOT UPGRADE to Win 10!
  Seriously broken Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 systems reported in Norton's forum.
   
• The vast majority of upgrades seems to go very well and smooth. Well dome Microsoft!
   
• BUT: There re some “rough edges” Microsoft needs time to smooth those. 

My original advice stands:  Wait and see!  There is plenty of time left to get the free upgrade.

Fake emails supposedly from Microsoft, telling people they are ready to download Windows 10.

BIG problem, they run CBT Locker which is MUCH WORSE than CryptoLocker.

Google Chrome's HTTPS extension can easily be turned OFF by visiting malicious web page!

• I can't say it often enough: Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT USE Google Chrome!
  
  About 50% of all malware infections I currently see happened when using Chrome!

Hopefully listener calls with questions.

2015-07-23 WBKV Talking Points

Windows 10

• You will get updates like it or not
  License agreement: 'receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice'.
• Will be sold on USB drives (no need for DVD drive!)
  Seen on Amazon.com's pre-order page; US release date likely August 30^th
• Price for Windows 10 Home $119.99, for Windows 10 Pro $199.99

Adobe Flash player

A seemingly endless saga of bugs and updates.
Per July 20^th you should be at version 18.0.0.209; everything below that is potentially dangerous!
Mozilla on July 20^th temporarily blocked Flash Player in Firefox!

This month's Patch Tuesday fixed 59 vulnerabilities

Microsoft stops AV support for XP

Microsoft Security Essentials nolonger updated on Window XP
Yes, there are still about 180 million people using it!

WPA-TKIP can be cracked in an hour!
Check your WiFi setup.
I know many (older?) DSL routers that have ONLY WPA-TKIP; they need to be replaced!

Google Chrome to add RED SCREEN warning

Only for ads with malicious content, known malicious web pages and web sites.

CVS's photo web site hacked and off-line
Other possibly affected firms are Walmart, Costco, Tesco, Asda & Marks and Spencer; they all used Canada-based PNI Digital Media.
I recently tried the CostCo web service and was appalled by it's bad user interface; I ran away real quick.

Hopefully listener calls with questions.

Virus Check BEFORE Download

I assume that you know about Virustotal (VT). If you still don't now than I am at a loss of words- which rarely if ever happens to me. But enough of my puny attempts on being funny.

With VT you can check any reasonably sized file (up to 64MB) that already is stored on your computer for viruses. What if you want to check a file for viruses before you actually download it?

If you use a web browser other than Internet Explorer you could install an extension.

• In Mozilla Firefox you can install the VTzilla extension.
• In Google Chrome  you can install the VTchromizer extension.
• In Opera you can install the VTopera extension. 

Thesae extensions make it possible to right click on a download link before you start the download. In the context meny that opens you will see an entry like shown here; the example was taken from VTzilla in Firefox:

 

VT will upload and test the file in it's usual manner and presto you have a good idea whether the file in question is "clean".

If you feel challenged by the idea to install an extension in Firefox don't despair, I can do that remotely. 

As usual I welcome suggestions and comments right here in the blog.

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