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Date:      Wed, 3 Jun 2009 11:18:00 +0200
From:      cpghost <cpghost@cordula.ws>
To:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Open_Source
Message-ID:  <20090603091800.GA1177@phenom.cordula.ws>
In-Reply-To: <alpine.BSF.2.00.0906030848330.49751@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>
References:  <4d3f56c90906020812t40c5fcbv178bcd7f702356f@mail.gmail.com> <4ad871310906020843n3e7dc96ap28d5d622e844abf1@mail.gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.0906021757290.2065@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <20090603004914.73f40a60@gluon.draftnet> <alpine.BSF.2.00.0906030848330.49751@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>

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On Wed, Jun 03, 2009 at 08:49:50AM +0200, Wojciech Puchar wrote:
> >>
> >> I mean things like sending private data to someone else, scanning for
> >> other programs i have on disk, my addressbook etc.
> >
> > Given enough incentive, it unfortunately seems even open source
> > developers will resort to sneaky tactics:
> > http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/05/mozilla-ponders-policy-change-after-firefox-extension-battle.ars
> 
> but it's at least much more difficult. And - my other rule fits very well 
> here. Avoid OVERCOMPLEX programs.
> 
> Unfortunately there are no well done WWW browsers for unix in the world.
> links -g is an exceptions, but in the same time it's quite limited.
> But have best fonts :)

You're right: browser code is overly complex, and a nightmare to audit
properly for security purposes.

That's why when working in a sensitive environment, I browse the web
primarily with elinks (with JavaScript disabled, of course), and
secondarily and only when absolutely necessary with the usual
firefox+noscript+abp...  both browsers running in a virtual box (qemu,
virtualbox) dedicated to this purpose and this purpose only.

Of course, I'm taking more precautions, as running in a box may still
not be 100% secure, if someone creative enough found a way to break
out of the guest OS into the host OS; but everything else is just
irresponsible and way too risky, from a security point of view.

Surely, not everyone has the same security requirements, and YMMV. ;-)

-cpghost.

-- 
Cordula's Web. http://www.cordula.ws/



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