In one of those bizarre twists of industry, Hewlett-Packard today came out with new desktop PC systems that come configured with a new security option: a more secure implementation of the Firefox browser developed by Symantec.

Given all the security issues associated with browsers, the new offering from HP is probably not a bad idea. But what makes it ironic is that Symantec as of late has been slamming Firefox for being more vulnerable than Microsoft's rival Internet Explorer offering.

Given the fact that Symantec markets an implementation of Firefox that it says leverages virtualization technologies to create a more secure browsing experience; some folks might question if Symantec is an objective source when it comes to Firefox.

On the one hand it's in Symantec's interests to identify vulnerabilities in Firefox in the hopes that people will use its more secure implementation. On the other hand, it's in Symantec's interests to promote Firefox as a better alternative to Internet Explorer.

None of this takes anything away from HP for recognizing the simple fact that people desperately need a more secure browser than any of the ones most people work with today. Most of the attacks that people are subjected to today come during a live browser session. And those attacks are typically the most difficult to defend against.

The nice thing about the Symantec implementation of Firefox is that it adds a layer of software that essentially creates a sand box environment for the browser to run in. That way any malicious code can be identified and then neutralized before it infects the rest of the system.

But as good an idea as that might be, it also means that Symantec has an agenda in the browser wars. As such, Symantec might want to restrain itself from making public judgments about technologies it has a vested interest in.