The upcoming release of the open-source browser Firefox 2 will include an online phishing protection feature.
Mike Shaver, an expert from Mozilla, the company developing Firefox, stated that the “Phishing shield” will utilize Google’s anti-phishing technology.
Firefox 2 is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year. In addition to this new security feature, Firefox will also see various upgrades, primarily focusing on user interface improvements.
“We all know that phishing is indeed a significant headache on the web today,” Shaver said. “We will add phishing protection tools to Firefox, and Google is currently collaborating with us.”
The addition of phishing protection to Firefox 2 has been confirmed. However, the specific technology to be used has not yet been finalized. “Google, along with many other partners contributing to the project, has provided us with source code and experts for testing. However, we have not yet decided on a specific direction, which technology to use, or which partners to collaborate with,” Shaver explained.
Google has a close relationship with Firefox. A year ago, Google hired Ben Goodger, one of the leading open-source experts from Firefox. This browser is also included in Google’s application suite and that of third-party vendors. Google has yet to provide an official comment on this matter.
As online attacks continue to rise sharply, security tools have become a priority that browser developers are eager to integrate into their products. Microsoft also plans to enhance its Internet Explorer 7 with anti-phishing features. Netscape 8 and Opera 8, which were released last year, also include this functionality.
The first beta version of Firefox 2 is expected to be released at the end of this month. This version will not yet include the phishing protection feature.
HVD
