Windows and Internet Explorer users who subscribe to automatic updates will be presented with a screen offering a choice of 12 browsers, including IE, with the top five displaying in a random order.

Here’s our quick guide to the top 10 browsers that you’ll be presented with.

Internet  Browser	Pros	Cons
Internet Explorer (Microsoft)	Versions 7, 8, stable and security improved, auto complete on address bar	Still a major target for hackers and Malware. Version 6 has particularly poor security and stability with crashes that can affect the operating system.
FireFox (Mozilla)	Very fast, stable, very secure and well supported, good features and add-ons	Can get a little bloated with all the available add-ons which means start up a little slow.
Chrome (Google)	Fast and stable, good security	Relatively new, lack of ‘nerdy’ features / add-ons (which may well be a pro for some users!)
Opera (Opera)	Fast and secure, some useful features	Lacking widgets and add-ons
Safari (Apple)	Neat interface, secure up to a point.	Lacking in features, actually quite insecure but not currently targeted by hackers and virus writers
Flock	Social networking dedicated browser, friendly interface	Doesn’t support major web services
Maxthon	Easy to useSupports many plug-ins Customizable	Lacks competitors features like thumbnail previews, a smart toolbar, and anti-phishing technology
Avant Browser	User-customizable tabbed interface Page zoom slider – 25% to 500% Multiple home pages Good support	Lacks parental controls and ability to synchronize settings from other browsers
Deepnet Explorer	Pop-up BlockerAnti-phishing Peer-to-peer facility for file sharing	Not as intuitive as other browser
PhaseOut	Customizable and tailored to easy surfing Top Security Features	No password manager, feeds, or parental controls

This move will result in the further erosion on Internet Explorer’s market particularly with faster and more secure browsers being freely available.

See the following links for more information.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/mar/01/microsoft-windows-browser-choice-screen

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/mar/01/microsoft-browser-choice-which-best

http://www.honeytechblog.com/pros-and-cons-of-top-10-web-internet-browsers/

The only problem was that goods never arrived.

The website is currently down for maintenance, the call centre numbers have been terminated and thousands of people are trying to get refunds from their credit card companies.

We are very concerned how such a company could get hold of an Internet Merchant Account (so they can debit credit cards) and a secure server (the padlock that appears on websites to indicate you are transmitting confidential information) as both normally require lots of form filling and hard proof of business credentials. That said, smart criminals are adept at getting around this type of requirement so here are some tips for spotting a fake website:

• Ask yourself whether the site is selling brand name items at too cheap a price.
• Check where the website is registered, how long it has been registered and to whom it is registered. You can search for domain name registrant information using an online search tool, such as whois.com and nominet.org.uk (for .uk domain names).
• Always check for feedback, both positive and negative. Enter the website name into a search engine
• Find out about the company you’re buying from and where it is based. Companies should supply their full geographic address, not just a post office box or mailbox number. Check the address using a search engine – you can often find out if it is just a mail forwarding service.
• Find out how to contact the company and look for a landline number. Establish if the number works or whether it is just an automated message or an answer phone. Be wary if only an email address or mobile phone number is provided.
• Beware of companies that have recently set up and have a tiny or non-existent internet footprint.

See this article for more background information:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/15/focusclothing-customers-out-of-pocket

Please get in touch to discuss any aspect of e-commerce.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3210429&

This was prompted by the publication on the Internet of what is effectively a hacker`s recipe book for malicious websites to install all kinds of unwelcome software on a PC using Internet Explorer. This is software that slows down your PC and could steal passwords and personal information.

Microsoft themselves have recognized the security flaw and are working on a patch that won`t be released until 9th February 2010. In the mean time both the German and French governments are advising their citizens to steer well clear.

These days Microsoft`s Internet Explorer is less and less important with excellent rivals FireFox and Google’s new Chrome browser eating into its market share. At the time of writing less than 50% of all web users now use Internet Explorer.

http://www.webgrowth.co.uk/latest-browser-market-share.php

The publicity around the German and French warning means that Internet Explorer`s market share looks set to fall even further which also means a few extra grey hairs for any conscientious web developer. Your website should always be developed and checked for the major browsers FireFox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera as there can be marked differences in how the same page displays. As long as the pages are developed using good coding practice then most issues can be fixed without too much hair tearing!

Software names such as Antivirus XP 2008 or Cyber Security look like they are genuine security products with authentic looking screens. They will pop up occasionally, warning you that they have discovered a security threat and scan the hard drive. What they are actually doing is gaining greater control of your PC, causing it to crash, reboot and leak your personnel information.

See a list of the rogue security software here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_security_software

The good news is that the removal of the software is fairly straightforward. Please get in touch for more information.