14 DAY TRIAL // Google announced only a few days ago that users of Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8 could try an improved functionality of their browser, with a Chrome Frame that basically enables them to run Chrome within Microsoft's IE. Through this plug-in, advanced features like HTML 5 will be available for those who are stuck with older versions of Internet Explorer, Google said at the time, yet it seems that there is also a dark part of the matter, one that has been “unveiled” by Microsoft.
According to the software giant, the new Google Chrome Frame has weakened the security of its web browser, now more vulnerable to malware and malicious scripts, which might suggest that the company is not so pleased with Google's “attempt” to enhance the functionality of IE. Although the plug-in also brings around the WebKit-based rendering engine from Chrome, Microsoft says that this comes at a price that users should not consider paying.
“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,” is what a Microsoft spokesperson stated in an email, ZDNet reports.
For what it's worth, the reports from NSS Labs are only based on IE8's performance, and, while it seems to not take into consideration the fact that its IE6 solution is rather old and outdated, Microsoft itself has aggressively encouraged users to stop using this version of the browser and to upgrade to a newer counterpart via its “Browser for the Better” campaign. Google managed to up the ante with the release of Chrome Frame, while Microsoft failed to make even IE8 competitive when it comes to web standards support (CSS3 and HTML 5), not to mention the older IE6.
Those who would like to download the Google Chrome Frame will find it here. Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) RTW is available for download on Softpedia via this link (for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Vista, as well as for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008).