MSN Toolbar Adds Anti-Phishing

MSN is offering two free add-ins to Internet Explorer (IE): one to alert users to potential “phishing” sites (fraudulent sites that attempt to steal personal information), and one that contains links to casual games on MSN Games. The inclusion of the anti-phishing tool is significant because IE 7, expected in late 2005, will offer a similar feature based on the same underlying technology.

Add-Ins to Search Toolbar

To get the new functions, users must first download the MSN Search Toolbar. This free tool adds features to IE, including tabbed browsing and a built-in search pane for conducting Internet searches (it defaults to MSN Search, but can be set to other search engines). The MSN Search Toolbar also lets users search local and networked resources from search panes in the Windows Taskbar, Windows Explorer, and Outlook.

Once users have the Search Toolbar, they can download free add-ins to get new functions. In Aug. 2005, MSN released two new add-ins:

Phishing Filter Add-In. With this add-in, users will also be able to set the toolbar to check any URL they attempt to visit against a database of known phishing sites; if a match is found, users will be prevented from entering data into any forms on that page. Microsoft is partnering with WholeSecurity, which runs a blacklist of phishing sites called the Phish Report Network, to help populate and maintain this database.