Browser/E-mail Exploits and Vulnerabilities

Both Web Browsers and E-mail Programs monitor constant connections to the Internet, typically on ports 80 and 25 respectively. And both firewalls and computer information security systems often grant them trusted zone status. This is due to the nature of their port monitoring connections and their degree of commonality on most computers. As such, a Web Browser or E-mail Program exploitable vulnerability can have serious or dire consequences for the security of a computer system due to their implied trusted state, and their constant connection through port monitoring to the Internet. Since both of these types of programs are constantly uploading and downloading packet streams from the Internet, rogue code can be quite easily transmitted and disseminated through an exploitable hole or vulnerability leaving the entire system at risk.