http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2008-06-17-mozilla-window-snyder_N.htm By Jon Swartz USA TODAY June 17, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO -- Window Snyder isn't your average security czar. As chief of security at Mozilla Foundation, the unconventional non-profit whose popular Web browser Firefox underwent a major facelift this week, Snyder cuts an unconventional swath. For starters, her title is "chief security something-or-other" (yeah, that's on her business card). It befits her wide-ranging role at Mozilla, the Web browser developer that relies on the contributions of thousands of programmers worldwide. The programmers generally work for free, but Snyder's salary is paid with revenue Mozilla generates through business partnerships with Google, Amazon.com and others. Organized cybercrime gangs are more highly focused than ever on taking control of your computer through browser-based hacks. They've already turned some 40% of the world's 800 million Internet-connected PCs into obedient "bots" used to spread spam, harvest your sensitive data and commit fraud. The bad guys are highly motivated to expand their bot empires. And their favorite tactic to wrest control of your machine is by corrupting browser-run applications that enable all of the Web's coolest functions, like watching videos and social networking. Because Mozilla's Firefox browser is based on open-source code that is continually refined by volunteers, it is widely considered by tech security experts to be the most secure, though by no means impregnable, browser. Into the virulent dark side of Web 2.0 strolls Snyder, leader of some 20,000 independent programmers committed to shoring up Firefox's first line of defenses. In setting out to elevate Firefox's basic security, Snyder is also compelling Microsoft and Apple, maker of the Safari browser, to follow her lead -- or get out of the way. Snyder's rising star is sure to ascend even more this week, with the release of Version 3.0 of Firefox on Tuesday. The release is packed with new features, most notably stiffer security, faster speed and improved ease of use. "The fun is in deconstructing where the security holes are," Snyder, 32, says with a wry smile and knowing laugh. [...] _______________________________________________ Attend Black Hat USA, August 2-7 in Las Vegas, the world's premier technical event for ICT security experts. Featuring 40 hands-on training courses and 80 Briefings presentations with lots of new content and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 50 nations. Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in a relaxed setting. http://www.blackhat.com
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