Microsoft Puts Web Browsers' Security To Test, Firefox Ranked Last

Software powerhouse Microsoft Corporation has come up with a brand new website that evaluates the security aspects of various versions of its Internet Explorer web browser, as well as those of the rivals Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

The new website, dubbed 'Your Browser Matters', puts users’ Web-browsers through a series of vulnerability tests, and then posts a score on the scale of four points.

Expectedly, the brand new version of the Internet Explorer - version 9 (IE9) secured the top spot with a score of four out of four. The older sibling of the IE9, the Internet Explorer version 8.0 managed to score 3 points.

The latest ‘stable’ version of the Google Chrome browser - version 14, managed to score only 2.5 out of four, whereas the month-old Mozilla Firefox 7 had to be satisfied with only 2 points.

"Browsers that provide better protection against the most common threats -- such as socially engineered malware -- will receive a higher score," Roger Capriotti, Microsoft's chief IE marketing executive, wrote in a Tuesday blog, according to a Computer World report.

"The biggest threats stem from clever 'socially engineered' malware targeting outdated software, such as older Web browsers," he added.