This year’s annual hacking competition, Pwn2Own, has revealed Google’s Chrome browser as the most secure option for browser security. All other browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera) were exploited on day 1 of the event. By day 2, no one was even attempting to exploit Chrome. This is true despite a $10,000 prize from Google for successfully hacking into Chrome’s sandbox.

The news is a much needed boost for Google, who is seeing competition attacking from all sides. Security is likely to become a bigger issue as more of our personal lives get recorded and stored online. Google’s concentration on security may draw customers to both it’s browser and mobile software for the peace of mind. At the same competition, Apple’s iPhone was exploited in 20 sec. – allowing the hackers access to a full log of SMS messages, including those deleted.

It should be noted, however, that Chrome is relatively new and its security successes may largely be result of its relative unfamiliarity. The exploits on other browsers have largely relied on well-known existing vulnerabilities. It remains to be seen whether Chrome can maintain it’s secure status as it spreads throughout the market.