In the website above there are links to all independent tests to support the above statements. There are some serious security issues with firefox and having initialy used it for about six months, I found it as slow as a wet week compared to Avant [Opera is the fastest in the tests ...just], which has no security issues.

Avant has a very active user forum: http://forum.avantbrowser.com/viewforum.php?f=4 For passwords etc. Avant has a very slick feature called 'organise auto fills' under 'auto fills' on the toolbar next to 'bookmarks'.

Anything you want to know about the browser can be answered at the forum site as I'm certainly no expert on it.
I have just this morning downloaded the latest new release [they come out regularly with tiny improvments after 'listening' to user imput]. There are no security issues with Avant and I love all the extra screen real-estate it's many options [a huge amount] allow.

Re Mail:
I use Outlook Express as I'm used to it and I can set it up very securely indeed through message rules and only use it for friends and a few places where I know it won't be abused.
I also use Yahoo mail as a far less intrusive option that hotmail in my personal opinion [only]. MSN messenger I have disabled [but not removed].

I've recently sacked the free Zone Alarm I used to use, as after testing it recently on a security 'leak test' ...it leaks like a sieve! I now use 'Sunbelt Keiro' as a free firewall.