# Which is safer Firefox or IE?



## Lareux (Dec 5, 2004)

I have heard conflicting opinions on this, and would like to know what the general consensus here is.


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## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

At this point in time they are both safe.IE has come a long way from the days of being unsafe.Now it's more the user who does things that he/she shouldn't do.
I personally use firefox & have ever since I got my computer 4 years ago,,@ first was because it was safer but now it's habit along with all the add ons & exrensions that I like.'You can feel safe using either.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Firefox with NoScript add-on.


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## sup2a (Oct 9, 2007)

I would say Firefox, ive heard people that doubt it to no end, theres even a site stating IE is safer and faster than Firefox, but the way they compared was completely unfair, Way too much evidence in the other direction saying FF is much safer and with a few tweaks MUCH faster, i use FF and i would never turn back


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

IE may be safer but look at all the setting you would have to know how to setup. With Firefox your safer right from the start and there is not that much more to do but turn off java script but then use noscript so you can leave it on and then tell noscript what sites can use it.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Of course, if you don't go to totally random sites, the chances of actually getting an infection are minimized. I tried FF noscript, but it was a PITA to use and respond to, so that's gone.


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## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

Whichever one you end up choosing,or both,I recommend this add on,it's McAfee's site advisor.I find it very useful,it's free.
http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ff.html


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## hrlow2 (Oct 6, 2008)

hello. Amen on the SiteAdvisor. You may also consider another browser. Opera is lots faster than IE or Firefox.


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

no browser is safe, truth be told. Browsers are just like cars; you let an idiot drive a car, and they are going to wreck it. The best 'safe' browsing experience is knowledge of what is out there and how to avoid it first and foremost, followed by a good firewall and a good antivirus program.

I've used firefox for many years now, just because it has more customizations and buttons I can play with; my wife is strictly IE. But we both know what NOT to do when surfing the web or responding to random emails, and that is 90% of keeping our machines clean.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

JohnWill said:


> Of course, if you don't go to totally random sites, the chances of actually getting an infection are minimized. I tried FF noscript, but it was a PITA to use and respond to, so that's gone.


It was a little pain to setup NoScript but I did it in one night by going to all the sites I go to all the time and made up my "white list". Then you export the list so if you ever need to install it again on same or another PC you import it. It is a pain right now at the new Hotmail because unlike all other sites that you gave temp right or that reload the page Hotmail reloads you back to the inbox page. But they have other troubles there that is MS and not Firefox or NoScript.

Now I will say that NoScript when it reloads a page or just to open up the options too a long time on my old computer but on my new computer it does it right away so it takes some CPU and or memory when it reloads.


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## AKAJohnDoe (Jun 6, 2007)

Firefox with NoScript here. Easy to use unless you frequent many new sites often.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

AKAJohnDoe, I hate when you go to a site and NoScript lets you know in bold the site your at and you gave it temp rights but then you right click NoScript again and get a big list of sites and you got to find out what one to give rights to so you can see or do what you want to do. I started blocking iframe too and that can make it even harder.

You can give the temp to the page that gives right to the others also but if you block iframe it can still be hard. 

But I will keep it because I have it setup for all sites that need the java script and exported the NoScript white list so I don't have to spend the added time setting it all up again.


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## Tymon (Dec 4, 2008)

Never liked IE I updated up to IE 6 then stopped updating the thing and switched to FF.

So My vote is for FF but as valis says it depends more on the user then on the program if you are safe or not.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

That is just it. IE can be just as safe and maybe safer the Firefox but look at all the setting you got to deal with that most people don't know how to setup and what effects what. Unless IE has changed some setting in the IE 7 and to me it does not look like they have but have added some things to it only your still have people that don't know.
The default setting had been for years unsafe.

With Netscape and now Firefox you really did not have to know much of anything at all so was safe from the start with the default setting.
Then when you want to change a setting you got less setting to deal with then IE has. 
Look at SpywareBlaster and all the things it protects you from. But for firefox it is only cookies. I even have it unprotected on the firefox cookies because I do not need it because I deal with it other ways that is even better.


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## brandmantra (Dec 1, 2008)

for me firefox is safer.


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## ryanhe (Jun 6, 2007)

Firefox, and even more so on an older OS like WIn98


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Microsoft-to-Patch-IE-ZeroDay-Vulnerability/

All browsers have weaknesses, but IE seems to have bigger issues when they are exposed.

I prefer Firefox at this time.


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## alina.wilson1 (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi, 
Of course firefox is safer than IE... I can explain it to you...why..I have posted a post on my blog .... But I dnt know ... whether I can give my blogs url here or not...Plz confirm me ...so that i can help you further ..or if u want me to message u the url ..than I can...


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

no, you can't, as that would count as spam. Nor can you pm them, as that would also count as spam. You can, however, ask them to pm you; once they ask for it, it's not spam.

and welcome to tsg.


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## alina.wilson1 (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey! Thanks for letting me know!!!


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

de nada........they didn't just hire me for my good looks, you know.

Come to think of it, they didn't even mention that part...............hmmmmmmmmmmm


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## echicken (Dec 30, 2008)

Firefox 3 with No-Script is the safer than anything, but its functionality is really limited.
Internet Explorer isn't as insecure as it was before, but I still avoid it when I can.


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