Internet Explorer has big advantage over other browsers?

[aigle]

I think the Smart Screen filter of IE is a big plus over altrrnative browsers, for an average user.

I just tried it with a single malware link to see how it acts. No other browser( Opera, Iron) gave any useful alert. :thumb: ]

-{ Quote: "SmartScreen’s reputation-based analysis works in concert with other signature-based anti-malware technologies like the Malicious Software Removal Tool, Windows Defender, and Windows Live OneCare, in order to provide comprehensive protection against malicious software." }-

What do you people think about this feature?

211917 211918
211919

[Sjoeii]

I think IE8 had some mayor positive changes I really like.

[1boss1]

Thanks for the testing yet again aigle, this is good to see.

I don't use IE but with Google muscling in on the Browser and OS market touting security, MS really needs to be innovative and fight back with applications that are faster, more secure and feature rich than ever before.

I wonder how this "Smart Screen Filter" works with applications that use the IE engine, i assume they would inherit IE's settings.

Hmm ok just tried to test it with the same URL, i was prompted with a download box for the exe. Maybe i don't have the screen filter setup right, i will have to look in to it.

[stapp]

I was unsure as well as to how the smartscreen filter worked, and then I've just watched the video on this page.

Explains it all

http://remove-malware.com/antimalware/browsers/ie8-smartscreen-anti-malware-test/

[Rmus]

Hi aigle,

Can you go directly to primemovier.net without the link to the .exe?

Any browser will prompt for a download to a direct link to an .exe,

211931

and careful people would scan an untrusted .exe -- this one is caught by 31/40 AV.

It's impressive that this malware file is flagged by the browser. The weakness, of course, is that flagging depends on a recognized signature.

-{ Quote: "SmartScreen’s reputation-based analysis works in concert with other signature-based anti-malware technologies" }-


----
rich

[aigle]

I agree with you but we all know ordinary users might make a blunder every now n then.

I really like it for ordinary users.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Thanks for the testing yet again aigle, this is good to see.

I don't use IE but with Google muscling in on the Browser and OS market touting security, MS really needs to be innovative and fight back with applications that are faster, more secure and feature rich than ever before.

I wonder how this "Smart Screen Filter" works with applications that use the IE engine, i assume they would inherit IE's settings.

Hmm ok just tried to test it with the same URL, i was prompted with a download box for the exe. Maybe i don't have the screen filter setup right, i will have to look in to it." }-
Try saving the download to your disk and then you will get the prompt.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Hi aigle,
Can you go directly to primemovier.net without the link to the .exe?
" }-

I get nothing.

[Rmus]

Hi aigle, I'm referring to going to primemovier.net with IE8.

----
rich

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: "I agree with you but we all know ordinary users might make a blunder every now n then.

I really like it for ordinary users." }-I also agree, but I noted that it is a signature-based protection, which as you know is not reliable in the early stages of exploits. The file bot.exe is in most of the AV databases already.

----
rich

[aigle]

Will try and report back.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Hi aigle, I'm referring to going to primemovier.net with IE8.

----
rich" }-

Same with IE8 on Win7. On XP I have IE6.

[Rmus]

Hi aigle,

Can you access primemovier.net with IE8 and post a screen shot as you did when using Opera?

thanks,

----
rich

[trjam]

here Rmus,

[Rmus]

Thanks, trjam, so it's clear that IE8 is not responding to the site, as a site analyzer would do. Rather, to the malware bot.exe itself.

I was not clear on that at first: from the screen shot of the IE8 alert it appears that IE8 has flagged the site for malware and other bad links.

----
rich

[1boss1]

Yes it's detecting the actual exploit.

This is good news, many applications i use utilize the IE rendering engine for functionality. From the testing i've done they are inheriting Smart Screen Filter setting.

Good news indeed. Although, as a website owner i wonder how long Microsoft will take to respond to any incorrect flaggings. For arguments sake, lets say the Sandboxie download got flagged as unsafe making visitors believe it's malware and hence impacting the softwares sales until it's fixed.

But all up it's impressive, and i hope it works out well.

[Joeythedude]

to play devils advocate ,couldn't the average user could just ignore the warning , they way they ignore the download/ run prompt in other browsers :)

Best solution is would be to tell users not to click ok to any prompts during a browsing session , and close any prompts with the windows key combo.

[aigle]

Warning is very clear that any one can understand and there is only one Deny button. Ignore option is not so much obvious. IMO it,s very well designed.

[dell boy]

yes its well designed, but im confident opera and firefox have a very similar system for blocking bad sites.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "yes its well designed, but im confident opera and firefox have a very similar system for blocking bad sites." }-
Not at all. It,s not site blocking feature of IE. It,s scanning of downloads with a malware signature data base. No such feature exists in any other browser ATM.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Thanks, trjam, so it's clear that IE8 is not responding to the site, as a site analyzer would do. Rather, to the malware bot.exe itself.

I was not clear on that at first: from the screen shot of the IE8 alert it appears that IE8 has flagged the site for malware and other bad links.

----
rich" }-
IE8 here gives alert only when you download and save the file.

[Osaban]

Here is Matt's video of IE8. The good thing about it is that it really works on its own, no real need to have an AV. Like you said a great improvement for the average user, and used together with MSE it will make browsing really safe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94v1MdMcxk&feature=channel_page

[aigle]

in my opinion MSC might not make any difference as for as browser downloads are concerned as signature data base might very well be the same.