For a long time, I thought add-ons and plug-ins were different names for the same thing. Thanks to Mozilla, I learned differently. Officially, plug-ins, extensions, and themes are subcategories of add-ons.
OK, what are add-ons? An add-on is a small program designed to interact with a host application. Why is this important? Add-ons are useful. They give applications like Web browsers a great deal more functionality. My favorite add-ons are NoScript and Power Twitter. They belong to the extension subcategory of add-ons. NoScript helps prevent malware from infiltrating my computer and Power Twitter improves how I use the Twitter Web site.
Plug-ins are sneaky
Extensions and themes require user intervention to install and they update automatically. Plug-ins install without user knowledge and they do not update automatically. That makes plug-ins a concern, security-wise. If a plug-in has a known vulnerability, it becomes a way for bad guys to gain access.
Mozilla helps
Mozilla, Firefox’s developer is aware of this problem and explains the downside of having old plug-ins on their Web site:
• Old Plug-ins can interrupt browsing and waste your time.
• Old Plug-ins increase your risk for attack by malware, viruses, and other security threats.
• Updated Plug-ins have improvements that make the web better and safer for you.
To help, Mozilla created a Web site that will test all of the plug-ins installed in Firefox, informing you which need to be updated. I tested my computer and found this:
Final thoughts
Cybercriminals are smart. As soon as security analysts find their favorite vulnerability and fix it, the attackers find another weak link. Plug-ins are on the bad guy’s radar. Make sure to keep them up-to-date.
For information about other Firefox issues, please refer to Mozilla’s Firefox: One-stop for security tips. For answers to your concerns about IT please refer to: Information Technology: Answers to your questions.
Comments
COOL!!!
I had four plug-ins that weren't updated! Guess I'll have to do research to find out how to update them; if possible!
COOL!!!
I had four plug-ins that weren't updated! Guess I'll have to do research to find out how to update them; if possible!
Now I know where to point folks who need definitions. The Plug-in checker is nearly handy, but seems to have trouble detecting versions of some common plug-ins. Clicking "Research" just gets you a generic (read: unhelpful) Google search. Cool, nonetheless.
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