Google Chrome ,IE,is it safe ?

[karandpr]

Strict Disclaimer : The information,knowledge and data provided in this post should be used only for educational purpose .Native Legal Laws apply if any knowledge is used for purposes other than knowledge.I take no responsibility is a person after viewing this article participates in activities beyond the boundary of Laws .


Ok
I got strange hobbies and one of them is creating live scenarios of cyber crime .

OS :Microsoft Windows

My speciality is not in remote access ,though .(Too lazy)
Instead I create scenarios with Live access to a computer usually people use to in web defacement cases . (Prank ,false emails ,facebooks ,using the works ...)
Live access means some access your computer when it is on .Usually when the user goes for a coffee or boss for details
Usually I put together a bunch of easily available tools to see if those can be converted in something evil .
Then I make a database so to facilitate me .

Today I came across an How To Geek article about IE's password safety .
So ofcourse it piqued my interest .
The software can be used to view the stored passwords of a web browser .

Ordinarily All web browsers are in the same water .
You can view all the passwords .
It takes 15 seconds for a user to
use the software ,copy the passwords and remove the USB drive .
so in one minute all your passwords will be compromised
and in one day you may lose job,girlfriend, status ,whatever .........

However Firefox and Opera have additional facility which you can use to secure the password ,a master password for all your passwords .it makes passwords unreadable in that software. It is a step in right direction . :d

So a phisher will have to know your master password for access .

But IE and Chrome,nothing ,nada .They are actually defenseless against a live attack unless you chose not to store passwords at all (a wise policy )
.
Some user actually asked the google for such a feature .Their reply is hilarious.(After 20 months ......)
Google Chrome Master Password? - Google Chrome Help

I used my Home PC with Opera 11.5 ,Google Chrome 14.0.797.0 ,Firefox Beta 6.0 b3 and IE 9.0.1
.The software works But after a master password ,Opera and FF password were cloaked .

Live access crimes happen and it is always nice to have additional security.
Google can atleast add this simple feature .

For paranoids I suggest Keepass.For super paranoids I suggest powerful brains plus taekwondo , and a major in law

 

[andruoid]

I don't enable "remember passwords" or "forms" in Chrome so its not an issue.

 

[sethman88]

same here I use chrome but I never enable remeber passwords on anything except my phone. but all my passwords on my laptop are never remebered

 

[karandpr]

I don't enable "remember passwords" or "forms" in Chrome so its not an issue.

same here I use chrome but I never enable remeber passwords on anything except my phone. but all my passwords on my laptop are never remebered

A wise policy .

 

[SUroot]

Firefox user

 

[sethman88]

plus I hate using IE its to slow no matter how good a computer you have, firefox and chrome are way better, just like at work I have a much more powerful maching, but have to use IE, but at home I have an above standard laptop, nothing to fancy just some RAM and Rom upgrades and HD, but I use chrome on it and its a lot faster on the internet then my work machine

 

[karandpr]

plus I hate using IE its to slow no matter how good a computer you have, firefox and chrome are way better, just like at work I have a much more powerful maching, but have to use IE, but at home I have an above standard laptop, nothing to fancy just some RAM and Rom upgrades and HD, but I use chrome on it and its a lot faster on the internet then my work machine

Actually Live machine phishing is more relevant in office space .
It's always wise not save passwords in offices .
Chrome is fast I admit .
But for guys who give updates weekly (annoying) ,an additional layer of security doesnt hurt anyone .
I use opera on my desktop and chrome time to time and the difference of speed is negligible .I just dont use IE .

 

[karandpr]

Universe's take on my thread

http://androidforums.com/computers/385317-how-can-i-get-my-browser-ask-save-passwords.html

I should have struck to writing sci-fi ...............

 

[starxpilot]

If Privacy is an issue, I'd suggest you go with Firefox.

Like Mods and addons? Go with Firefox.

Hate Ads? Go with Firefox.

I'm not promoting Mozilla here, but from my experiences with dozens of browsers, Mozilla Firefox can NOT go wrong. IE shouldn't even be considered except for the few corporate websites that demand you use it because they are too stupid/stubborn to get the big picture and support Chrome, Firefox, etc.

Like Dell Corporation for an example, their Auto Detect for systems isn't supported outside of IE. -_-

To be honest, I'm surprised IE and Chorme haven't made attempts to ensure privacy, and with this new Google+, looks like the 'thought of security' is going to be quite hard to prove.

 

[mobimop]

Well the "how to geek" article actually addresses IE 7 and later. Chrome actually encrypts the passwords, they aren't just sitting on the drive in plain text and unlike IE just being logged into the PC doesn't decrypt the password. They can only be decrypted on the same machine and by the same user that encrypted it in the first place.

Here is a good read on Chrome and how passwords are stored: How Google Chrome Stores Passwords | Switch on the Code

To be honest most Enterprises are in the process of testing Chrome as the default browser, with the built-in sandboxing it's proving to be a better secure browser.

 

[alostpacket]

Firefox + NoScript = very helpful vs shady websites.

There are almost no exploits that dont involve javascript in one way or another. Even the people who hate Flash and Java (while they have some good reasons) seem to forget that Js is used to launch those plugins.

Edit: also now using a add-on HTTPS-Everywhere which helps some too.

Finally use something like KeePass and store passwords there, much safer encryption.

And use two-factor authentication.

And, when you can, eat pizza. Because, well, it's tasty.

 

[JRich8389]

Remembered passwords always made me nervous, I had no knowledge of this topic before so it is good to know. I've always used Firefox though, just like the customization capabilities Thanks a lot for the information everyone!

Thinking about switching to Chrome once they allow a little more customization.

 

[karandpr]

Firefox + NoScript = very helpful vs shady websites.

And, when you can, eat pizza. Because, well, it's tasty.

 

[johnlgalt]

You do what you an, but the only truly safe computer is one that never connects to the Internet ever and never has any foreign devices attached to it ever.

After that, it's pretty much a crapshoot- you can do what you want, but no browser is 100% safe, and no AV / AM / AS program or suite is 100% effective.

 

[andruoid]

...and no AV / AM / AS program or suite is 100% effective.

That is why I zero fill my drive daily.

 

[alostpacket]

That is why I zero fill my drive daily.

Is it weird that made me think of extra pepperoni?

 

[starxpilot]

Is it weird that made me think of extra pepperoni?

Nah.

Although you got a point, seeing a little of Murphy's Law there...

I don't think we'll see a 100% safe browser in this day and age, not with all the privacy concerns and issues already plaguing the net..

 

[SherryS87]

I use two-factor authentication on Gmail, & Google accounts on the computer.
My HTC Thunderbolt will no long open Gmail on my phone using the 2 step authentication.

Suggestions or help please??