Anti-Phishing Toolbar Now Available For Firefox

U.K.-based Web security firm Netcraft on Wednesday released a Firefox version of the anti-phishing toolbar that's been available for Microsoft's Internet Explorer since December 2004.

The toolbar, which installs as a Firefox extension, or plug-in, automatically blocks suspected phishing sites identified by other users and verified by Netcraft. The company's database of Web site information is also used to display several attributes of any visited site, including its country location, longevity, and popularity.

That information can be used to gauge possible risky sites, since most phishing sites are short-lived, and often hosted in countries like China and Russia.

Netcraft claims that the toolbar has blocked more than 7,000 phishing sites since it debuted.

The free Firefox toolbar can be downloaded from Netscraft's site.