Google Chrome has become the icon browser for most of us. It ended the Internet Explorer era with a joke that – “The only time a person opens Internet Explorer is to download Google Chrome”. According to reports, Google Chrome has a 60% market share across all the platforms as in 2018. But, it is not entirely safe. It is open to the users hence the users have to be careful to keep their browser safe.
How Does Malware Affect Google Chrome
Certain developers affect the experience of the users using the Chrome browser. Google Chrome offers users to use Extensions for enhancing their browser experience. It makes the work easy and smooth for the users. But little does the user knows that sometimes these malware affects the users. They steal user data like the username, passwords and other things which the user enters in various websites.
Everyone might be thinking that this is fake and Google would have imposed some restrictions on these extensions. Partly, it is true. Google does have some restrictions to prevent this from happening. Every extension has to go through some steps to get their extension of the store. But, some do slip through the check. Further, Google allows the extensions to automatically update hence they might change the permissions later on. Users might accept the extension permissions and they will steal the data. Google also allows users to install extensions through third-party sources which might use the permissions against the users.
How To Ensure The Extensions Are Safe?
There are several methods a user can use to ensure their data is safe from malicious extensions.
-
Install What Is Required
One of the methods is to install only the extension which you will use a lot. If you want to have an extension for a temporary purpose, uninstall it immediately after the usage. Proxy and other types of extensions are harmful for the users as they steal the data sent over the browser. Such an extension should be preferred very rare or should be understood before using them.
-
Install Extensions From Chrome Web Store
Since Google allows the users to install the extension from third-party sources, it causes a security issue very easily. Google is improving on it. They have said that by December 2018, users will not be able to install extensions from any other source except the Chrome Web Store. Hence, this will increase the safety of the users and ensure the authenticity of the extensions.
-
Install The Right Extensions
Users should not go by the install counts present on the extensions. For example, AdRemover for Google Chrome which has nearly 20 million downloads was revealed as a malicious extension. Further, uBlock Plus, HD For YouTube, Webutation, Adblock Pro are some other example of malicious software. For finding if such extensions are safe or not, users should first read the description of the extension. They should visit the website of the extension when installing it. The best portion for finding the authenticity of the extensions is the comments. Users can easily know much about the extension from the experience of other users. Also, during the time of installation, check for the permission the extension is requesting. If you find any malicious permission request, do not install the extension.
