Microsoft Edge Browser Blocks Phishing Malware Downloads

A recent test of web browsers by NSS Labs showed the Microsoft’s much maligned Edge browser beat Chrome and Firefox by wide margins in its ability to detect and block malicious downloads embedded in phishing landing pages and other malware infected web pages.  Edge version 38 blocked 96% of malware samples in the form of malicious links and pop-ups, compared with 88% for Chrome version 60 and 70% for Firefox version 55.  The results were even better for detecting and blocking unknown or “zero-day” exploits.

Edge and Internet Explorer use Microsoft’s SmartScreen to detect malware.  Google and Firefox use the Google Safe Browsing API.

Personally, I have not been a fan of Edge, and have been using Google Chrome as my preferred browser.  Based on this study, I will be switching to Edge. Of course, security is not the only criteria when choosing a browser, and how well I like the user interface and search capabilities will determine if I stick with Edge.   If you or your company are attempting to standardize on the best browser from a security standpoint, choosing Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer seems to be the best set.

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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