They're all vulnerable
Operahttp://
www.symantec.com/security_response/vulnerability.jsp?bid=6754
Firefoxhttp://secunia.com/product/4227/
Saying they're all vulnerable is like saying all cars are vulnerable
to accidents - all cars will be damaged in an accident, but some are
better than others at protecting the occupants.
Obviously, all web browsers (just as all operating systems) are
vulnerable to exploits - whenever you have lines of code you have ways
to poke holes in it - but some are more vulnerable than others. Ask
anyone in the hacker community about the different web browsers and IE
(as well as Windows and Outlook/OL Express) will universally come up
as the most vulnerable web browser. Firefox is the browser of choice
in the hacker community.
Microsoft has, until recently, been notorious for being lackadaisical
about security, though they're trying to clean up their act with IE7
and Vista. However, IE's code is still the most vulnerable to exploits
and combined with it being to most popular browser (thought Firefox is
starting to make inroads into IE's dominance) it still presents the
most risk of someone, or malicious code, compromising your computer.
The advantages of Firefox are it's an open source, Linux-based, cross-
platform program. Right out of the box Linux is far less susceptible
to exploits than Windoze. Try running a Linux box and Windoze box
connected to the internet without a firewall and antivirus and see
which one gets taken down first. I've run a Linux box on the internet
for months, without FW/AV and have had zero exploits.
It is true that because Windows is the most widely used OS there will
be more attempts at poking holes in it, giving credence to the
'security through obscurity' premise. However, this doesn't negate the
fact that Linux is a more secure OS than Windows and Firefox a more
secure browser than IE. Opera's code is also less prone to exploits
(due in part to its simplicity) and since it's the least popular of
the 'big three' there are less attempts at poking holes in it.
Even with a firewall, IE creates a 'tunnel' through which an attacker
can gain access to your computer. Security is not only about running a
firewall and AV and keeping both up to date, but not using programs
that are susceptible to exploits, i.e. IE, Outlook and OL Express. The
choice is your's.
