Phishing is a prevalent type of online scam that attempts to steal sensitive data such as user names, passwords and credit card details. The attacks typically combine spam e-mail and fraudulent Web pages that look like legitimate sites. A record 7,197 phishing Web sites were spotted in December, according to Anti-Phishing Working Group.

While Firefox 2 will get a phishing shield, no decision has been made on how it will be incorporated in Firefox, Shaver said. “Google, like others who contribute to the project, has contributed code and expertise for us to experiment with,” he said. “We haven’t committed to a given approach, a given technology or a given partner.”

Adding antiphishing technology to Web browsers helps with online security, but is not a panacea, said Amir Orad, vice president of marketing at RSA Security’s Cyota group. “We think it is very important. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it is a step in the right way,” he said.

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