Re: Firefox as default browser in labs

["Riedl, Steve Thomas" <sriedl () KU EDU>]

How do you handle the exploits that Firefox has had or will have in the
future. I agree that IE is less that desirable, but in a crunch the
patches can be easily and centrally deployed. For those that use Firefox
in an environment with several hundred (or more) machines. Do you have a
way to deploy a patch to Firefox if needed?

Steve 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Connelly [mailto:Ken.Connelly () UNI EDU] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:29 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Firefox as default browser in labs

Compare http://secunia.com/product/11/ vs.
http://secunia.com/product/4227/

- ken

Bruce Barrett wrote:

> All,
>
>           Very interesting. Can anyone expound on some of the security

> issues with Internet Explorer ? We support IE but not Firefox and 
> would be interested in any information comparing the two from a 
> security standpoint. Thanks much.

>                  Bruce
>
>  
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
> *From:* Ken Layng [mailto:kml18 () PSU EDU]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:18 AM
> *To:* SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
> *Subject:* Re: [SECURITY] Firefox as default browser in labs
>
>  
>
>
>
> William Custer wrote:
>
> Michelle,
>
> I understand that Penn State eliminated IE in December 2004.  You 
> might contact them.
>
> We issued a RECOMMENDATION to use a browser other than internet 
> explorer, due to inherent vulnerabilities in IE, but we did not 
> eliminate the browser altogether.  That decision was left up to
> individual dept admins.    Our lab machines offer both browsers, but 
> Firefox is set to open links by default.
>
>
> At 05:28 PM 5/9/2006, you wrote:
>
> Because of the many security issues with Internet Explorer, I am 
> considering using Firefox as the default browser in our labs and 
> eliminating access to IE.  Are any of you doing this?  Did you run 
> into any problems with implementing it from a user rights, group 
> policy, roaming profile, and software conflict stand point?  What 
> about allowing or not allowing students to add themes or extensions?
> Thanks,
> Michelle Mueller
> Mount Mary College
> Milwaukee, WI
>
>  
>
>  
>
> --
>
>
> Ken Layng
> The Pennsylvania State University
> ITS/TLT/Training Services
> 23 Willard
> 814-863-8800
> kml18 () psu edu <mailto:kml18 () psu edu>

--
- Ken
=================================================================
Ken Connelly             Associate Director, Security and Systems
ITS Network Services                  University of Northern Iowa
email: Ken.Connelly () uni edu   p: (319) 273-5850 f: (319) 273-7373
It's much more important to know what you don't know than what you do
know!