Mozilla Suite : FAQs : More Secure

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Is Mozilla more secure than Internet Explorer?

Yes, Mozilla is a more secure browser/e-mail client than Internet Explorer/Outlook Express. There are several reasons why:

  • Mozilla does not support ActiveX which (historically) has been the cause of many security problems
  • Mozilla does not support VBScript - another technology that has caused security problems in the past
  • Mozilla does not support Microsoft's Java VM
  • Mozilla is not heavily integrated into the operating system, and does not grant extra privileges to HTML files loaded from the local computer
  • Mozilla is not as vulnerable to e-mailed viruses. They can not be executed automatically, which was historically a problem in Microsoft's clients
  • Mozilla does not allow execution of code from remote sites without user intervention, which has previously been a problem due to security flaws. While malware which targets Mozilla does exist, you have to confirm any installations which makes it easier to avoid spyware and trojans
  • Mozilla gives complete control over cookies
  • Mozilla gives detailed control of what scripts can and can not do