Forum Discussion
MS Edge Chromium? or Chrome?
I think if the current Edge Chromium team keeps going the way they are they just might find that the only/or that most of their users are going to be those that use Chrome now and that don't care about security of the browser or just don't understand the depth of how unsecure it is. I have taken Edge Dev off as my default browser and switched it back to the Edge classic/public version. I am loosing trust in the security of Edge Chromium with the popups of "click here to change "Chrome settings"" or "click here to set "Chrome" notifications settings" and so on...... I will keep testing it, though my use of it will be limited until I feel that it is indeed secure to use.... tomscharbach
And I agree with everything you posted here........
But, that is just my 20cents worth...
Dennis5mile
Dennis5mile I think that Microsoft will work to make Edge Chromium secure, for several reasons:
(1) Edge Chromium is not so much a browser (in the traditional consumer sense of the word) as it is a port of entry into the Microsoft ecosystem (Azure, Office 365 and so on) and that ecosystem demands a secure browser front end;
(2) Edge Chromium's development seems to be shaped by the needs of the business and enterprise market (think IE integration), and the enterprise market is sensitive to security shortfalls; and
(3) any serious security issues that emerge too soon after launch will likely sink the browser in terms of gaining market share.
The bottom line is that Microsoft seems to be shaping itself as "the business ecosystem", and that market is very, very sensitive to security issues.
So I'm not worried too much at this point. I expect Microsoft to tightly integrate Edge Chromium into Windows Defender and to isolate the browser (as Edge (Classic) is isolated) from the operating system.
I share your concern about the consumer iteration of the browser, however. Enterprises typically lock down systems through policies to minimize risk; consumers (Windows Home) don't have that option to any meaningful extent and most consumers wouldn't know what to do, anyway. So almost all of us are completely dependent on Microsoft for basic security.
Adding fuel to the fire, many consumers load up their browsers with add-ons and extensions of one sort or another, and (unless carefully vetted) add-ons and extensions create an open wound just waiting for an infection.
Although it takes a few clicks to do it (security through obscurity?), for example, Microsoft allows Chrome extensions to be added to Edge Chromium. The last year or so has revealed to anyone halfway sentient that Chrome extensions are not vetted carefully enough (as we speak, yet another malicious Chrome extension has been disclosed), so why is Microsoft permitting extensions from the Chrome store to added to Edge Chromium? It seems to me that the better course would be to allow extensions if but only if Microsoft has carefully vetted them.
I don't pretend to understand it. All I can do is remind myself that it is early days in the development path and keep an eye open.