Microsoft Replies to the Use of Chrome Frame

They say it’s not a good thing. You were expecting something else? How naive are you?

Of course they are going to say something like that. In the history of the world, about the only stories we have of the embrace of one’s enemies is in stories of Christ, in the New Testament. This is not one of those.

I refer to the revelation from 2 days ago, where I noted that the fight was being fought on Microsoft turf now. Microsoft has a siege mentality. Anything that encroaches upon their market share is bad…very bad.

So it should come as absolutely no surprise that the word from Redmond is that this is a bad thing, for them (not voiced, but understood), and for you. After all, selling you that it is bad is the only way it will become good for them.

Ryan Naraine, a security writer from ZDNet, gives a story outlining Microsoft’s reaction, yet, the only explanations given are very nebulous – the kind that Microsoft is famous for. You know…be afraid, be very afraid, take what we say as fact, and don’t ask for details. Don’t worry your little heads about details – that’s what we are here for.

Google’s decision to introduce a plug-in that runs Google Chrome inside Microsoft’s Internet Explorer isn’t sitting well with the folks at Redmond.

The Google Chrome Frame, which is presented as a  seamless way to bring Google Chrome’s open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer, has increased the attack surface for IE users, Microsoft said today.

Here’s Microsoft’s official reaction:

“With Internet Explorer 8, we made significant advancements and updates to make the browser safer for our customers. Given the security issues with plug-ins in general and Google Chrome in particular, Google Chrome Frame running as a plug-in has doubled the attach area for malware and malicious scripts. This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take. For a deeper look at how the browsers stack up in security, take a look at the latest phishing and malware data from NSS Labs.”

Now, maybe they are right. But maybe not. That is the risk you run when you have a less than cordial relationship with your customers, brought on by your shabby treatment of them.

Would I use it? Probably not, but the reasons are totally aside from the security concerns. I don’t like Internet Exploder’s interface, and I really don’t like the Chrome interface much better. I have seen that Opera gets 90% of the speed of Chrome, so I remain happy with it, and as for security – whether through good design, or smaller usage numbers, it remains the one to use for many, including people who know malware, if you get the drift.  So, until proven otherwise, Opera is the choice.

But, if you must, I’d say that, as long as you have a good antivirus, a good working firewall, and are not an idiot (the non-idiot portion is important in phishing exploits), you should be fine with Internet Exploder with Chrome Frame.

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It’s still the one!