The Web - User Side

• This is chapter 4. You should read it.
• They remind us to keep everything we have discussed in mind as we approach this chapter.
• They point out
  • Everyone uses the web.
  • And the browser is the most likely tool for this to happen.
• They point out
  • While you might only see one address
    • A web page can have you load many different items from different pages.
    • This can be used for multiple media files. (Pictures, sound, video,,. ...)
  • The browser software can be malicious or corrupted
  • Browsers allow plug-ins which can contain malware
  • Browsers can access data on the user's computer
  • Data transfers occur without user permission or even knowledge.
• Browsers are essentially on-line tools, and are more vulnerable than other software tools.
• Browsers tend to act instantly (ie, a click or a button press starts transfer actions without a second chance)
• The present a chart showing browser vulnerabilities from 2008 through 2013, approx 500 per year, with an increase as time goes by.
  • So browsers are themselves a source of vulnerabilities
  • And provide a platform for additional attack.