Dell is hoping to make web browsing a safer experience for corporate and home users with the release of a modified Firefox build that can reportedly keep malware locked into the browser itself, rather than infecting the whole operating system. The new software is simply dubbed 'Secure Browser' and comes courtesy of KACE, a system management solutions firm Dell acquired earlier this year.
Essentially the Dell KACE Secure Browser uses application virtualization technology to provide an isolated instance of Firefox – currently version 3.6 – with Adobe Flash and Reader installed. This sandboxing approach helps proactively contain threats before your anti-virus and anti-malware tools can detect them, thus preventing any changes to the system. Changes made to the browser itself within the isolated container can be easily reset to their original state.
For now, Secure Browser only works on 32-bit systems. It should function just like your normal Firefox installation with add-ons support and all. However, users will have to re-download and reinstall the Dell KACE Secure Browser if they want to benefit from updates to the software. While anyone can download the massive 75MB file and start using Secure Browser, Dell KACE customers get additional value as it integrates with the firm's K1000 Management Appliance for central deployment and admin control. A version using Internet Explorer is due for release later this year.