Russ from Chambers, NE writes:
Our tech guy says Internet Explorer is much safer and better to use than Firefox or Chrome. Is this true? I like using Firefox and Chrome for Google. He says not to. What do you say?
First of all, if your tech support guy at work says that he is most comfortable with Internet Explorer and that’s what he wants you to use at work, do what he says. After all, he’s going to do a much better job troubleshooting something he is comfortable with and it’s possible that Internet Explorer works better with the particular systems you use on the job.
My #1 steadfast rule when it comes to a work environment is that you obey the IT guy/gal. (Unless that person says it’s okay to still run Windows XP.) It’s his/her party.
I have heard IT people express security concerns about Chrome before and the browser had a rough start of it with security issues, but most of that seems to be under control.
There was a time when Internet Explorer was considered to be the least secure browser, but with recent updates and the demise of IE 8, security is much improved for IE 11.
The next statement will probably anger a few people since folks tend to be very defensive about their favorite browser. They are all good browsers. As long as you have the appropriate Internet Security for your PC and make sure you keep these browsers up-to-date with any security patches, Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer should all work perfectly well for you. This statement does not apply to Internet Explorer 8. It is no longer supported by Microsoft and is definitely not safe to use under any circumstance.
You’ll find security issues with any browser. I looked around for browser security tests and was able to find cases where each of these browsers was declared safest and times when they were each named the least secure. Use common sense about the sites you visit and the things you download combined with an anti-virus and malware protection and you should be okay with any of these.
I actually suggest having all three browsers on your PC. Because at one time or another you are going to come across something that just won’t work in a particular browser or they’ll be an update and the browser will suddenly not work with a site you want to visit.
My suggestion, use what you like at home. At work, follow the lead of the IT guy. Now, if security is a top concern with your browsing, check out this article from last summer about the 5 most secure browsers. You’ll notice none of the big 3 browsers made the cut.
~ Cynthia