PayPal to Ban Unsafe Browsers

[mandy]

While current browser share estimates for Apple's Safari web browser hover somewhere in the 4.5 percent range, Safari is attracting some unwanted attention from PayPal, the eBay-owned payment company. PayPal is urging its users to ditch Safari and instead use alternative browsers such as Internet Explorer 7, IE 8, Firefox 2, Firefox 3, or even Opera.

The reason for the warning is Safari's lack of anti-phishing technology. Currently the Apple browser does not alert users to sites that could be phishing for your info, and it lacks support for Extended Validation...

full article: http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ar...s-ditch-it

[mandy]

PayPal, one of the brands most spoofed in phishing attacks, is working on a plan to block its users from making transactions from Web browsers that don't provide anti-phishing protection.

The eBay-owned company, which runs a Web-based payment system that allows the transfer of funds between bank accounts and credit cards, said browsers that do not have support for blocking identity theft-related Web sites or for EV SSL (Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are considered "unsafe" for financial transactions.

"In our view, letting users view the PayPal site on one of these browsers is equal to a car manufacturer allowing drivers to buy one of their vehicles without seat belts," said PayPal Chief Information Security Officer Michael Barrett...

full article: http://www.eweek.com/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=47667&pop=1&hide_ads=1&page=0&hide_js=1

[mandy]

Update: PayPal denies rumors that it will ban Safari

In a response to an article on the Wall Street Journal, PayPal Corporate Communications spokesman, Michael Oldenburg said: "PayPal is developing features to block customers from logging into PayPal when using obsolete browsers on outdated or unsupported operating systems. An example of such a browser/OS combination might be, for example, Internet Explorer 4 running on Windows 98. In doing so, we better protect our customers from viewing a phishing site through their browser. We have absolutely no intention of blocking current versions of any browsers, including Apple’s Safari, from our website."...

full article: http://www.9to5mac.com/paypal_denies_safari_block_plan

[accentnepal]

"PayPal is developing features to block customers from logging into PayPal when using obsolete browsers on outdated or unsupported operating systems. An example of such a browser/OS combination might be, for example, Internet Explorer 4 running on Windows 98.

You know, if I actually made MONEY on eBay then I might be able to afford "upgrading" my windows 98. (IE-6, so I am OK for now --- I think). Then again I might not - from what I hear the later OS's are a PITA and do not do anything except cost more money.

So PayPal is going to force me to go to the library to make transactions?
Oh, Yes, that is REALLY going to improve security.

[amy]

So PayPal is going to force me to go to the library to make transactions?
Oh, Yes, that is REALLY going to improve security.

I came close to using a library computer a few weeks ago when our cable was out for 2 days but decided against it due to security reasons.