AVG Safe Search and Firefox 6

[Brint Hannay]

I have been using the paid version of AVG AntiVirus for a couple of years now. I've used Firefox for much longer. I've gotten used to looking for the AVG SafeSearch green check mark next to Google results before opening websites or the "Page Status" indicator after clicking on a link. Very rarely has any listing shown other than the green check, but when it does I avoid them.

After the recent Firefox update to FF 6, the AVG Safe Search function has been disabled as an incompatible add-on for several weeks now. Googling the same words as my topic title, I find people on Forums or Blogs or whatever they are complaining about AVG getting caught sleeping by the Firefox update. I also find people (perhaps Firefox staff) alleging that although AVG is supposedly working on restoring compatibility, Firefox's built-in security is actually plenty, gives everything the Safe Search does, and in fact having Safe Search active just messes things up.

What's the truth of this?

[Wiz Feinberg]

The truth is that AVG is dragging their feet on updating the plug-in to be compatible with the new security controls embedded in Firefox 6. A lot of add-ons are no longer working with FF6 and their authors are slow to respond, mostly because these add-ons a free.

Some anti-virus companies used to only write code to apply their browser extensions to Internet Exploder. Apparently, that mentality still persists, regarding updates to Firefox and Chrome.

FWIIW, Firefox 6 does have excellent built-in security. Nonetheless, I use Trend Micro to watch over every file I download, or open, or save, or that resides on a USB device, or network location I plug in. I get a lot of benefit from the Trend Micro Web Protection module, which blocks malware pages from displaying, unless I forcefully override the warnings.

I do not operate my daily browsing account as an Administrator, but, as a Standard Windows 7 User. And, I have UAC enabled.