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360 Secure Browser

360 Secure Browser (360 Security Browser) or 360 Safe Browser[2] is a web browser developed by the Qihoo company of Beijing, China.[3][4] Version 1.0 was released in July 2008 (first non-beta release; first beta in changelog is from April).[5][3]

The browser by default renders the webpage using the WebKit-based engine adapted for Google Chrome, Blink, and when running in compatibility mode, it renders webpages using the Trident engine found in Internet Explorer.[6][7]

Webkit-based engine was introduced in 2010 (dual-engine with Trident),[8][9] as the 360 Extreme Browser .[10] In the 360 Secure Browser it was added in 2012, in version 6.[11]

Market share

In January 2011, Qihoo claimed that it was the second most popular web browser in China (after Internet Explorer),[4] with 172 million monthly active users, 44.1% of Internet users in China.[12] StatCounter claims that the true figure is between 2-7%.[13] As of November 2014 StatCounter reported that the Qihoo browser was the 5th most popular browser in the United States.[14] Its main competitors in China are the Sogou High-Speed Browser by Sogou, CM Browser, QQ Browser by Tencent, Baidu Browser and Maxthon.

As of 2017, the latest versions of 360 Secure Browser do not offer a distinguishable user-agent string. It spoofs itself either as Google Chrome or Internet Explorer, making it difficult for developers to target or identify.[6]

Controversies

In 2012, a whistleblower reported a hidden backdoor in 360 Secure Browser. The Product Director of 360 Secure Browser, Tao Weihua, accused the whistleblower of "smearing 360 on behalf of Baidu", which the whistleblower said was "the worst professional response in history". Independent analysis of the claim showed that the browser has an "undeclared mechanism (i.e., via ExtSmartWiz.dll) which connects to the server on a regular basis (e.g., every 5 minutes), and allows it to download files of any type (including executables) from the server."[15]

This and other controversies surrounding Qihoo eventually led to the temporary pulling of their products from the iOS App Store.[16]

High usage numbers may be due to the browser being difficult to uninstall, its parent product 360 Safeguard frequently recommending it and a warning pop-up that appears when a user attempts to install another browser, falsely claiming that the other browser is unsafe and should not be run.[17][18]

See also

External links

References

  1. 【SE13正式版】360安全浏览器内核升级到Chromium 86——12月27日更新 retrieved 2021-12-27^
  2. 360 Safe Browser - Safe, Fast, Stable browser.360.cn, retrieved 2018-03-21^
  3. Qihoo Formally Launches Web Browser Product In China ChinaTechNews.com, Asia Media Network, 17 September 2008, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  4. Francis Gaskins. IPO Pick of the Week: Qihoo 360 Tech Seeking Alpha, Seeking Alpha Ltd, 29 March 2011, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  5. 360安全浏览器更新日志 se.360.cn, 2008-09-14, retrieved 2024-11-12^
  6. Kendra Schaefer. Qihoo 360 Secure: The Most Popular Browser You've Never Heard Of Web Design Envato Tuts+, 15 Jun 2015, retrieved 2017-06-21^
  7. processZ (产品经理). 360安全浏览器帮助中心 360社区, 2016-07-15, retrieved 2017-06-21^
  8. 极速不安全？ 360 浏览器极速版三大猜想 oschina.net, 2010-08-29, retrieved 2024-11-12^
  9. 360安全浏览器 - 360浏览器 se.360.cn, 2010-09-25, retrieved 2024-11-12^
  10. 欢迎使用360极速浏览器 browser.360.cn, retrieved 2024-11-13^
  11. 360安全浏览器 se.360.cn, 2012-10-25, retrieved 2024-11-13^
  12. Amendment No. 2 To Form F-1 Registration Statement U.S. Securities And Exchange Commission, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  13. Top 6 Desktop, Tablet & Console Browsers in China from Jan 2012 to Jan 2013 StatCounter.com, StatCounter, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  14. Ed Bott. Weird science: How shaky web usage reports distort our view of tech markets ZDnet, CBS Interactive, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  15. Intelligence Defense Friends Laboratory. Independent Report on Alleged "Hidden Backdoor" in Qihoo 360 Secure Browser 25 November 2012, retrieved 2017-06-21^
  16. Mike Obel. Privacy Issues With China's Qihoo 360 Technology, Which Provides Free Antivirus Software, Are Becoming More Public; But Qihoo Strongly Rebuts Accusations International Business Times, 2013-04-09, retrieved 2017-06-21^
  17. Steven Millward. 9 Evil Tactics Used by 360 Safe Browser to Beat IE in China Tech in Asia, retrieved 22 July 2015^
  18. Doug Pierce. How Qihoo 360 Won the Browser War in China Digital Due Diligence, retrieved 22 July 2015^