Firefox 8 kills malicious add-ons installed without user permission

By Mike Flacy Published August 12, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even though the most up to date users are currently on version 5 of Firefox, Mozilla announced plans for a feature in Firefox 8 that will automatically block any add-ons have have been bundled into third-party software. Users will have to specifically approve each add-on through an in-browser alert that appears within Firefox. This security feature is a response to the vast quantity of self-installed toolbars and other nagging software additions that slow down browsing the Internet with Firefox. High profile examples of this type of tampering include Microsoft slipping a change to its .Net Framework Assistant into Firefox through Windows Update as well as Skype inserting a toolbar that continually crashed the browser.

After a user upgrades to Firefox 8, they will be prompted with a screen that details the third-party add-ons installed on the computer as well as the add-ons that the user specifically installed. All third-party add-ons will be deactivated and require user activity to turn them back on. This action is designed to help users that are unaware of invasive third-party add-ons and offer them a fresh start with the newly upgraded browser. Also, add-ons that aren’t compatible with the new version of the browser will be turned off by default. According to the development schedule, Mozilla’s Firefox 8 will hit the stable channel on September 27.

Recommended Videos

While Firefox fanatics will have to wait until the end of September to start using Firefox 8, Firefox 6 is nearing completion and scheduled to be released on August 16. Major changes include faster startup time, better management of permissions for individual websites, increased plugin support and a more friendly developer environment. When Firefox 7 rolls out weeks later, it’s expected to use 20 percent less memory than previous versions as well as launch quicker, snyc passwords and bookmarks between computers and render text clearer for users that rely on the zoom function.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Computing

How to change margins in Google Docs

Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Computing

What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Computing

Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.