According to a report
by security research firm Accuvant, Google’s Chrome browser is the most
‘secure’ mainstream web browser besting Firefox, and Internet Explorer.
The report, commissioned by Google, analyzed the practical effect default protections bundled with each browser had on a wide class of exploits. Each browser was compared on a layered perspective, taking into account security architecture and anti-exploitation techniques according to Chris Valasek, Accuvant LABS senior research scientist.
“Our researchers used a completely different and more extensive methodology than previous, similar studies,” said Mr. Valasek in a statement.
Mr. Valasek told The Register that Accuvant ranked Google’s Chrome browser the most secure because it did the most ‘sandboxing’. This process, explained Mr. Valasek to The Register, is a hallmark of good security because it isolates application code inside a perimeter that is sealed off from the rest of the OS. Chrome, for instance, doesn’t allow the browser to access files outside of a limited set of directories.
Accuvant says that the sandbox found in Internet Explorer is much more permissive, allowing browser resources to read almost all parts of a hard drive.
“The Google Chrome token is far more restrictive,” said Accuvant Chief Research Scientist Ryan Smith, to The Register. “It’s more like a learner’s permit, whereas the Internet Explorer token is more like a regular driver’s license.”
According to the report, the least secure browser was Mozilla’s Firefox as it allowed the most access to the host machine’s operating system.
