Firefox users safest on the web

FIREFOX USERS tend to keep their browser software more up to date than punters who use other web browsers, a Swiss study has reported.

Conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in collaboration with Google and IBM between January 2007 and June 2008, the study analysed Internet users' web browser preferences and online behaviours, particularly with regard to security.

Overall, the researchers' report said that less than 60 per cent of wibblers use the latest, up-to-date versions of their web browsers. The study noted that failing to keep browser software updated greatly increases web surfers' online security vulnerability to attacks.

Of the web browsing population surveyed, Firefox users were found by far to be the most likely to use the latest version, at over 83 per cent.

In second place, just over 65 per cent of Apple's Safari users were found to use the latest version, after December 2007 when Safari 3 was released.

Ranked third, about 56 per cent of Opera users said they were running the latest version.

Microsoft Internet Explorer users came in last with regard to safe wibbling, with less than 48 per cent using the most secure release available over the 18-month study period.

The study also estimated web browser market shares, reporting that Internet Explorer had 1.1 billion users or 78.3 per cent, Firefox had 227 million users or 16.1 per cent, Safari 48 million users or 3.4 per cent, and Opera just 11 million users or 0.8 per cent.

Recently, Firefox market share was reported to have jumped to 19 per cent, while Internet Explorer's market share has slipped to less than 73 per cent