browsers - is opera safe ?

It's a matter of personal preference ONLY. Do not base browser usage upon general media disseminated browser security risks, for browser security risks promoted at websites, magazines & news are always:
1. overly dramatic
2. tend to make it appear worse than it really is
3. designed & intended to scare uers (away from MS products)

A browser's security state is mostly dependant upon the users' browsing habits. If a user tends to frequent questionable websites, or sites known to use browser security exploits (such as ****, warez, etc) then no browser is completely security risk free. The exceptions being text-only browsers run on unix based operating systems.

Bottom line is that you cannot get a virus, spyware or trojan from a reputable website that is known to serve only straight forward content. If the site dishes out malicious code then it's not a reputable site. The built in security features of most all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer, help to increase user judgement with popup blockers, security zones, rules, etc.

I've been using IE only on windows since it was IE4 and never have problems with it, meaning I have never had unwanted software installed as a result of visiting a website. Actually, it did happen a few times, and I was able to fix and then defend against it later on. Now, w/ IE6 sp2, I can honestly say that I am so far safe from security exploits. (I don't visit disreputable sites)

Remember, as long as there are criminal minds and web browsers, there will be browser security threats. The KEY to safe secure browsing is NOT which browser one uses, but rather it is one's surfing habits, computer skill and judgement.

Thus, the solution is to educate oneself by learning about browser security features, comp security in general, and being able to extract only the true needed data from news articles (hype) about browser insecurity.

While Internet Explorer does have security holes, and while IE has a history of security hole-patch it-security hole-patch it, it is solely because there exists a small proportion of anti-MS folks who are intent on attacking MS and keeping them busy with handling the holes and the hype. It's an economic war that began long ago and will not end as long as there are criminal minds that use computers.

Forgive my ranting, please.

I have nothing against someone wanting to try out or use other web browsers for the sake of wanting to try and use something different. It happens to strike a button in me when I hear someone wanting to change browsers based on media hype about browser insecurity.

No browser is without security holes. Any browser can easily be exploited. Any user can make a mistake while browsing. But mistakes are the result of poor judgement. Good judgement comes from (1) duplicating what one studies and (2) experience - the successful application of what one has learned.

hey, if you install Opera, and you dig it, then great! Enjoy it! yes, there are less sites out there aimed at exploiting Opera, and it's unlikely there will ever be many sites that attempt to exploit browsers other than IE.

 

Firefox is a good browser.

Also, from the securina site:

Please Note. The statistics below should not be used for a direct comparison of how secure two different products are. This is partly due to the fact that a Secunia advisory often cover multiple vulnerabilities. Also certain operating systems bundle a very large number of software packages and are therefore affected by many vulnerabilities that would be counted as a vulnerability in stand alone products for other operating systems / platforms. Other factors such as vendor response times and ability to properly fix vulnerabilities is also important.

Also, keep in mind that Securina is a commercial service sold to IT Pros & corporations/businesses. Thus it is in their interest to post all security vulnerabilites. It appears to be a good reporting site, stating just data without hype. But it's mainly for use by admins that are responsible for networks.

The Secunia Customer Area is the commercial part of Secunia. It allows IT professionals to configure their own customised setup, in order to receive only relevant security information for their specific network setup.

Secunia is currently the best source with the most validated vulnerability information available, ensuring that the IT professional always is informed about the latest threats and has the best information to work with.