If you’re still using Internet Explorer instead of having joined the many that have switched to Mozilla’s Firefox or Google’s Chrome for their web browsing needs, there’s a new security add-on you may want to be aware of.
Versions were already available for Firefox and Chrome users, and now an IE edition of HTTPS Everywhere has been released by cloud-based security company Zscaler. Essentially, it’s a browser plugin that forces your web browser to always connected via the more secure HTTPS (HTTP Secure) protocol if a site supports it, whether it’s enable by default or not.
A screenshot of HTTPS Everywhere.
According to a report from PC Advisor, the tool provides an added level of security for web browsers from attackers sniffing traffic on unprotected wireless networks.
In a 2011 study by Accuvant Labs analyzing and comparing the security of Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, using metrics such as vulnerability report counts and URL blacklists, ranked Chrome as the browser most secured against attack. Internet Explorer was next, and several issues were identified with Firefox.