The Safari browser is currently the default browser for Apple’s Macs and iPhones and can be accessed via PC as well. However, some heavy-hitting security teams, including PayPal’s, are less than satisfied with the security of Safari and have begun to suggest alternate browsers to their customers. 

The security issue in question pretty much stems from one thing – the fact that Safari is missing the phishing filter that other browsers use to warn Internet users of questionable websites. Some of these warnings come in the form of messages and some – like PayPal’s – use color coding called Extension Verification (EV). The safari browser merely provides SSL encryption for Internet communications protection.

According to PayPal executives, this is a huge issue for a few reasons. PayPal’s research indicates that the added protection their EV certification provides has significantly decreased phishing attempts within the PayPal site. Additionally, their use of this EV color coding technology has boosted customer confidence because their research also reveals that those customers using Internet Explorer, which supports EV certification, have been more likely to participate in their login process over the course of the past year.

The Safari browser does offer privacy browsing windows, privacy reports and intelligence tracking prevention. Privacy, however, doesn’t necessarily make the Safari browser more secure – only more private. Apple did develop and release a security patch in May of 2021 in efforts to address Safari’s security vulnerabilities.