Opera 9.5, code-named Kestrel, the latest browser by Opera, on Thursday became available for download for Windows and Mac.

The new version of the browser, whose release candidate was released earlier this week, is a security-enhanced version of Opera 9. It includes antiphishing protection from Netcraft and malware protection from Haute Secure, as well as support for Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL).

The malware protection is, of course, to counter similar features offered in Firefox 3, currently available as a final release candidate. Firefox uses data from Google and StopBadware to block a site before it loads on your browser.

Haute Secure claims its offering is better because it relies upon a community of users to inform the product when to block and when not. In testing at ZDNet.com.au's sister site, CNET, the latest version of Haute Secure still misses some recently published phishing sites, while Firefox 3 RC2 blocked them immediately.

How did that happen? Haute Secure explains that the APIs provided by antiphishing sites such as PhishTank won't update until the site is confirmed to be bad, whereas Google can make that determination on its own. Still, Haute Secure prevents malicious sites (as opposed to mere phishing sites) from loading, and provides more information about those sites than does Firefox 3.

Haute Secure was founded by a group of former Microsoft employees, and its flagship product came out of beta in March.

The browser also has a new "eurotechno" look and feel, a QuickFind address bar feature, better synchronisation with its mobile cousin, and a Speed Dial feature for visually bookmarking nine of your favorite sites.

Scandinavia-based Opera Software still finds its browser in fourth place, behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, and Apple's Safari, in terms of overall browser market share.