"We would prefer that he would notify us first, but more importantly we are glad researchers are looking at Firefox and helping us fix problems," the Mozilla CSO said. "We also see where the researchers are coming from, in terms of their frustration with the amount of time vendors are taking to fix vulnerabilities."

Snyder hopes that as Mozilla improves its ability to patch flaws faster, researchers will work more closely with the nonprofit company. The software maker is also developing a range of new security features for use in the Firefox 3 iteration of the browser, code-named "Gran Paradiso," that is slated to arrive sometime in the second half of 2007.

Much of the work is focused on improving users' capability to understand and manage their online credentials, the CSO said.

Security researchers maintain that attacks on browser vulnerabilities are only going to increase in volume and frequency, in particular during 2007.

According to experts at IBM's newly acquired ISS business unit, which is based in Atlanta, the continued emergence of the "exploits as a service" business, through which malware code writers market their attacks to cyber-criminals via underground channels, will only add fuel to the fire.