Triona's Tech Tips

Mozilla Firefox has upped the ante in the fight against cybercrime with automatic checks for updated plug-ins.

Plug-ins are bits of software that work within your Web browser to provide additional functionality. Mozilla debuted this feature with a check for updated versions of Flash, a popular plug-in used to view video content. Outdated versions of programs like Flash are used to spread viruses and malware.

Firefox will run the check automatically, or you can visit this site to check your plug-ins manually. You still have to update them yourself, but Mozilla’s new feature provides a more intuitive way to do so. You can also view your plug-ins and get more information about enabling and disabling them. The check works for both the Windows and Mac versions of Firefox. It’s such a good idea I suspect we’ll see this sort of functionality added soon for Internet Explorer and Safari, the default browsers for Windows and Mac, as well as other browsers like Opera.

Mozilla says it will continue to expand this feature to include additional plug-ins, which is great news for users struggling to keep their computers free of malware and other threats.

The latest version of Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (3.5.3) includes an important new feature. It checks to see if you have old, unsafe versions of Flash, a plug-in used to view multimedia content.

Old versions of Flash are problematic because they can be used to infect your computer with viruses and other malware. It’s not always easy to tell which version you’re running, and Flash often goes under the radar screen because it’s a plug-in, not a program you run directly by clicking an icon.

Mozilla reports that 99% of Firefox users have Flash. Of the six million users who upgraded Firefox after last week’s upgrade, half of them had unsafe versions of Flash.

Firefox can’t run the Flash upgrade for you; you have to do it yourself by clicking the link to visit the Adobe site. When I visited, Adobe tried to lump some free McAfee antivirus software with the Flash upgrade; you can de-select that. You may need to approve the Adobe Download Manager (look for the yellow bar at the top of your Firefox window). Once Download Manager completes, Firefox needs to restart. A new window will appear, downloading the latest version of Flash. Finally, close Adobe Download Manager by clicking the orange button. (With all these steps, is it any wonder people don’t upgrade Flash more often?)

While the new version of Firefox 3.0 (3.0.14) also includes this Flash check, I encourage you to upgrade to 3.5.3 for greatest security.

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If an alternate web browser is safer than Internet Explorer, which one should you use?

The most popular is Mozilla Firefox, available for both PC and Mac. I use it on both platforms. Another option for PC and Mac is Opera, which tends to do better with IE-insistent sites. Windows users might want to explore Google Chrome (a version for Mac is in development). And Mac users can rely on Apple’s default browser, Safari. Be sure to set the alternate browser as the default when asked. For more information on alternate browsers, please visit the Alternate Browser Alliance.

You can also install plug-ins to enhance your browser’s capabilities. I’m fond of McAfee SiteAdvisor for security. You can find Firefox plug-ins on Mozilla’s site.

Next month we’ll talk about How To Organize Your Email. If you have any computer questions click Comments below this article, and don’t forget to subscribe to the email version of Tech Tips for bonus tips and product reviews.

Mozilla Firefox users should be aware that version 2 of the web browser software will be discontinued December 31, 2008. For maximum protection against web-borne threats, PC and Mac users alike should upgrade to the latest version of Firefox 3. To find out which version you have, select About Mozilla Firefox under the Help menu (PC) or Firefox menu (Mac).