Multiple browsers - A security threat?

having multiple browsers is not a security threat.

firefox has it's own auto update feature and will update itself when patches are released.

I'm not sure about Opera, I don't use it myself.

the only confilt that comes from multiple browsers is that each wants to be the default, so when they first get started you uncheck the check next time [ browser ] is started and hit no .
then the default stays internet exploiter.*

yup, you are blowing it out of porportion. :)

*internet explorer is the biggest security risk browser, because of activex integration.

you should be advising us !
LOL
And Microsoft

No it's not a problem, if you were an FF site and you were being forced to use IE, you'd be right to have some concerns.

FF at least auto updates.

If you want justification to change to Firefox v1.5.0.1. go to www.secunia.com. Click on the link at the top of the page for IE and FF. The numbers in this title refer to how many security vulnerabilities exist for both browsers as of this post date.

I have had both for sometime on my tiny (5 pc) home network . I've never had conflicts and ask that my home users use FF for sites that aren't in their trusted sites.

Firefox doesn't use ActiveX which, as I understand it, the script kiddies can use to penetrate your system. I have also read that a fully patched IE is just as secure as FF. You can read anything about anything on the Internet.

I prefer FF for it's tabbed browsing feature if nothing else.

We may be at the forefront of a browser flamewar right here. There are a lot of ubergeeks that "SWEAR to GOD Dude" this xxxxx browser is the S#%+! I've tried about everything out there and I still use just FF and IE.

While you're at www.secunia.org sign up for their free vulnerabilities email notification.

SEC. covers a lot of stuff ( a good thing)so you're going to get a lot more regular emails. You can usually just read the titles at a quick glance.

I've never had a problem that I can directly associate with FF. I've had several with IE.

Multiple browsers are not a security threat. I am currently running IE, Firefox, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla and X-Smiles without any problem. IE does, however, have some issues and a strong tendency to pick-up things browsing. You might want to consider Lavasoft?s Ad-Aware for when IE gets the sniffles.

it's the newest version of the mozilla suite browser.

currently I have:
Mozilla Suite
Seamonkey
Konqeror
Galleon
lynx
links
emacs
epiphany
web browsers installed on my system.

It seem that Microsoft is hell bent on making Java compatibility as difficult as possible. I added Firefox for that reason. As for secuirty, no browser is secure. Though of the browsers available I rarely read about any secuirty issues with Opera.

Other than that I think your making more of it than you need to.

Does this method of patching each machine individually scale for a larger network of 30 users? What about an even larger network of 100 users? How do you make sure every machine has been properly patched?

you are blowing it out of proportion. I am managing a network of the same size and all of our computers have Firefox on them and we ask that that be used as the default browser. FF is more secure than IE. IE can be made to be almost as secure as FF but it requires that you go into the settings and change them, and if you users have enough permission they will immediately change them back because it makes IE less functional.

On another note still relating to browsers do you or anyone know if having multiple browser windows open on one or more PC's cause a measurable amount of network traffic, we have only a commercial grade cable connectin at 1Mbps so even a little traffic could cause others to be slowed down. Also dose this open connection pose any security risks?

build a cron script, or patching bash script, test the patches on one box, then trigger a system wide running of the patch after you know the patches aren't going to break anything.

*x has far better networking tools in all respects, it was designed for networked multiuser environments from the ground up, windows has had networking and multi user tools grafteed onto it.

That anyone that has a tight budget, a small staff, etc should be concerned about introducing additional products into their network.

By having to support additional products, whatever products (Microsoft, open source, whatever) one increases the odds of security breaches.

It's hard enough to support the numerous apps that the typical net admin already does.

In a perfect world (which doesn't exist) the admin would control what is on their network and thus increase security.

Increasing the number of apps on a network inevitably increases its security exposure. Standardizing around particular apps (whether those apps are more or less secure) is a standard business practice.

Most networks become expontenially more vulnerable as the number of applications grow.

If it were me, I'd standardize around one browser or the other...not going to take sides here but we are on IE.

If she is designing public access web docs, she should have at least FireFox/Mozilla and IE. Keeping up on FF is not nearly as bad as IE in my experience, and has some great developer tools she can add in to test and review javascript, HTML, CSS, etc.
Provide the tools, but in a controlled fashion. Don't slip into the age old IT void of the I gotta be the Control Police mentality (humor there - as someone who used to do that).
This is a key learning point we all need to face (IT control vs. users' needs/wants).
Definitely don't go the dial up route. That's just plain wrong. Besides, someone at some level is directing this work, yes?