A Mozilla executive has vowed that his company can patch any critical vulnerability in its software within 10 days, a sign that Mozilla may intend to step up its efforts to improve security.

Mozilla executive Mike Shaver backed up his claim by scrawling it on a business card at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas last week and handing it to Robert Hansen, CEO of SecTheory.com, who also runs the ha.ckers.org Web site. Hansen posted a photo of Shaver's business card, including the claim "Ten [expletive] days."

"I told him I would post his card -- and he didn’t flinch. No, he wasn’t drunk. He’s serious," Hansen wrote in his blog.

Web browser security has become increasingly important with the rise in use of Web-based applications, from Google's Gmail to social networking sites such as Facebook.com and enterprise software-as-a-service programs such as Salesforce.com. A security vulnerability within a Web browser can put a user's data at risk and make a PC vulnerable to hackers.

Shaver's 10-day pledge applies to "critical" vulnerabilities, although there is no standard for such a rating, and different companies evaluate levels of risk in different ways. Another condition is that the vulnerability is disclosed responsibly, meaning Mozilla is notified of the issue before it is publicized.

The pledge sparked some debate about whether Mozilla will be able to keep to it.

"I've always been a fan of Mozilla and Firefox, however, this is a pretty bold claim for a company of any shape or size," Hansen wrote.

Other commentators said keeping the 10-day promise might not be easy. Patches need to be of high quality and tested properly, which could take more time depending on how severe the vulnerability is, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.

"If that's what they're saying, then it is an audacious claim," Cluley said. "Some critical security vulnerabilities can reside deep in the bones of a complicated software product like Firefox and may require extensive testing to ensure that the highest quality fix is being made available to the users."

Others had more confidence in Shaver's claim.

"Rome wasn’t built in one day, but heck, Firefox isn’t Rome," said a commentator on Hansen's blog. "And Mozilla has 10 whole days. I don’t know, put 20 geeks in front of a computer for 10 days and just watch them go."

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.