Paypal warns buyers to avoid Safari browser from Apple
Online security has never been more important than it is now, with more people than ever buying and accessing sensitive data over the Internet. The choice of web browser is an important first step at safeguarding yourself online, so a warning from Paypal about using Apple’s Safari browser, the standard on Macintosh computers, and also available for PCs, should be heeded.
Paypal has a huge number of customers, who use their online banking services to buy and sell on eBay, as well as sending and receiving money from all over the world. Love it or hate it, Paypal knows what it is talking about when it comes to online security.
Paypal publishes a list of recommended browsers, ones which it regards as safeguarding its users from attempts at phishing and offering the highest levels on online security. Apple’s Safari isn’t on the list, and as Michael Barrett, PayPal’s chief information security officer tells Yahoo! News, with good reason.
“Apple, unfortunately, is lagging behind what they need to do, to protect their customers. Our recommendation at this point, to our customers, is use Internet Explorer 7 or 8 when it comes out, or Firefox 2 or Firefox 3, or indeed Opera.”
“Safari has got nothing in terms of security support, only SSL (Secure Sockets Layer encryption), that’s it,”
“[Opera, IE, and Firefox are] safer, precisely because we think they are safer for the average consumer. I’d love to say that Safari was a safer browser, but at this point it isn’t.”
The Safari browser is the default on Apple Macs and the iPhone, so Paypal are in effect warning those Apple enthusiasts to change browser asap if they want to have a more secure browsing experience on the web.
The main problem with Safari seems to be the lack of anti-phishing technology, which would alarm the US senators currently trying to make phishing more illegal than it already is.
As well as having no anti-phishing filter to warn surfers they are visiting a suspicious website, Safari also doesn’t support Extended Validation (EV) certificates, which is a measure designed to turn the browser address bar green when visiting a legitimate Web site.
According to Yahoo! news, “Apple representatives weren’t immediately available to comment on this story.”
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February 28th, 2008
apple release something thats useful, and not eyecandy.. me say thats un possible
February 28th, 2008
Right, so because Safari assumes its users aren’t morons means it’s not secure?
February 29th, 2008
I bet they got paid off by Microsoft.
“[Opera, IE, and Firefox are] safer, precisely because we think they are safer for the average consumer. I’d love to say that Safari was a safer browser, but at this point it isn’t.”
Does that mean that PayPal’s opinion defines the security of browsers?
Safari is perfectly secure, and its even more secure because it doesn’t have all the exploitable flaws Internet Explorer has. There is absolutely nothing wrong or dangerous in using Safari.
I agree with lewiji: Only an idiot would choose to trust a website with a “PayPal” logo when the domain is not paypal.com. And you don’t need a stupid phishing filter… Safari says if the site is certified secure or not.
May 7th, 2008
Paypal is running out of steam. There’s been countless paypal fraud attacks to it’s security structure. WHy they suggest not using Safari is because it’s stealth, just like Firefox. Meaning, i person getting banned from a paypal account can sign back up. Of course they have to change banks, names, phones, ip address also. But this is the real scare to them.. Less control. PayPal was a really good thing at first, but now it’s out of control and needs to go. Ebay owns Paypal as im sure your aware of. Id like to see Google Check out replace Paypal. Ebay doesnt allow Google Checkout. Thats because it would certainly wipe out PayPal! Is PayPal your Pal?
Steve Watt
webmaster of http://www.thejoyluckclub.com