Question about Firefox

Ive decided to try and use Firefox and have a few questions.

Tools, Options menu the allow sites to install software is enabled by default.
Should it be?

Also what about enable java and enable java script?

I thought that firefox was more secure becouse by default it would not automaticly run programs on your computer. IE asks before things are ran or installed.

Thanks for any help.
Matt

 

Allowing those is fine. The security comes from the fact that Firefox does not implement ActiveX controls.

 

Thank you

Thats what I was wondering.

You guys are a great help.

Matt

 

It asks before it installs anything so it's OK. If you're worried about javascript, try the NoScript extension. https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&id=722

http://www.noscript.net/faq

 

A couple of months ago, there was a Secunia alert related to allowing extension downloads in Firefox; apparently there was a small vulnerability that, before the fix was released, the FF folks suggested you not keep anyone in the list. As is the case with FF, not long after the flaw was found, it was patched.

And SPD is right, no ActiveX = much safer.

 

Only web sites on a whitelist are allowed even when that box is checked, click "Allowed Sites" to see the list. The default list consists of 2 mozilla.org sites. If you try to install extensions or themes from any other site, you will be asked if you want to allow it. If you do, it will be added to the list.

The ability to disable this completely by unchecking "Allow web sites to install software" is just an extra layer of protection.

You must have that checked in order to update Firefox and its extensions and themes, as well as for installing extensions and themes. Plans are being developed to change this in the upcoming 1.5 release, this confusion should be eliminated then.

 

I use the NoScript Extention too, and - although a pain with some site, especially with embedded media etc. - it gives a lot of extra protection.
To help stop spyware etc. you might want to try the adblock extention as well.

I surf a lot of Ezboard communities, and they are absolutely riddled with Spyware, scripts, pop-ups, and even ads smackdab in the middle of a thread. So I installed that, and added the filter 'ads.ezboard.com/*' and gone was the spam, the scripts, the spyware and the distortions caused by IFRAME's and oversized pics on the tops and bottoms of the screens. It's easy to use, and it filters everything, from one specific, offensive picture, to a subdomain like 'ads.ezboard.com'.
Usually it's as simple as rightclicking and selecting 'adblock ...' from the context menu. Certain Flash elements don't have the apropriate context menu, though, so they've added a small, transparent label to those elements, which you can click, and you get the same menu to block those kinds of ads. Clicking the button - that's elegantly placed at the bottom right corner of the browser window - you can call up a list of all adblock-able elements in a site, for more advanced uses.

I absolutely adore it, and install it on every machine I use Firefox with.

Highly recommended.