Google and Microsoft argue over Chrome Frame security
There’s nothing like a good bitch fight between two of the biggest tech companies in the world. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing between Microsoft and Google over the security of Chrome Frame, with Microsoft claiming the plug-in makes IE less secure and Google taking the exact opposite view. Let battle commence.
Last week saw Google unveil Chrome Frame, a way to give users of old versions of Internet Explorer [6,7, and 8] a taste of the Google Chrome Web browser without the need to actually change browsers. Those unfortunate people still using the woefully outdated IE6 are Google’s main targets.
Computerworld tests show that IE8 with the Chrome Frame plug-in runs 10 times faster than IE8 on its own thanks a dramatic increase in Javascript rendering speed. But Microsoft still doesn’t want you to install and use the Chrome Frame plug-in because it claims it compromises security features built in to Internet Explorer.
Microsoft’s general manager for IE, Amy Bazdukas, warned:
It’s not necessarily that plug-ins aren’t or can’t be secure, but that running a browser within a browser doubles the potential attack surface in a way that we don’t see is particularly helpful. We’re not saying that there’s a specific security vulnerability in Chrome Frame, but the concern that plug-ins in general have had regarding security issues adds a new potential threat when Chrome Frame is used. Users have told us that they’re looking for a better and safer browser, and we can’t see how [using Chrome Frame] will deliver that.
A Google spokesman countered:
Accessing sites using Google Chrome Frame brings Google Chrome’s security features to Internet Explorer users. It provides strong phishing and malware protection, absent in IE6, robust sandboxing technology [in IE6 and on Windows XP], and defenses from emerging online threats that are available in days rather than months. Google Chrome Frame … was designed with security in mind from the beginning. While we encourage users to use a more modern and standards-compliant browser such as Firefox, Safari, Opera or Chrome rather than a plug-in, for those who don’t, Chrome Frame is designed to provide better performance, strong security features, and more choice … across all versions of Internet Explorer.
So this basically comes down to which company you believe. Microsoft, which is trying to stop the rot when it comes to Internet Explorer, with millions of people using alternatives on a daily basis. Or Google, which is trying to hijack older versions of Internet Explorer in order to persuade waverers that Chrome is the solution they’ve been looking for.
My advice: Switch to Firefox and be done with it.
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