The Challenges Of Understanding Security In Web Browser Case Study: Internet Explorer And Mozilla Firefox

• Main Author: Saleh, Ashraf Mousa
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: QA76 Computer software
• Online Access: http://etd.uum.edu.my/381/1/Ashraf_Mousa_Saleh.pdf; http://etd.uum.edu.my/381/2/Ashraf_Mousa_Saleh.pdf; http://etd.uum.edu.my/381/
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

Many applications contain security features that are available for the end user to select and configure, as well as the ability to place the users in situation where they must take security related decisions. Web browser is one of these applications which consider as the only way to browse the internet. This study exposes the available security features in both of Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox in Microsoft Windows XP; moreover describes results of survey over 232 students in Universiti Utara Malaysia from different educational background to explore typical Internet user awareness and understanding toward web browser security features within windows XP through internet user behavior when using a Web browser to access the Internet. The study reveals some significant area of difficulty, with many standards security features presenting usable security challenge for large proportion of respondents. The results and finding highlight the lack of internet user understanding and awareness toward security features in the web browser.