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Google Announces 5 Major Security Updates for Chrome Extensions

Google Announces 5 Major Security Updates for Chrome Extensions
Oct 02, 2018
Google has made several new announcements for its Chrome Web Store that aims at making Chrome extensions more secure and transparent to its users. Over a couple of years, we have seen a significant rise in malicious extensions that appear to offer useful functionalities, while running hidden malicious scripts in the background without the user's knowledge. However, the best part is that Google is aware of the issues and has proactively been working to change the way its Chrome web browser handles extensions. Earlier this year, Google banned extensions using cryptocurrency mining scripts and then in June, the company also disabled inline installation of Chrome extensions completely. The company has also been using machine learning technologies to detect and block malicious extensions. To take a step further, Google announced Monday five major changes that give users more control over certain permissions, enforces security measures, as well as makes the ecosystem more t

Google Bans Cryptocurrency Mining Extensions From Chrome Web Store

Google Bans Cryptocurrency Mining Extensions From Chrome Web Store
Apr 03, 2018
In an effort to prevent cryptojacking by extensions that maliciously mine digital currencies without users' awareness, Google has implemented a new Web Store policy that bans any Chrome extension submitted to the Web Store that mines cryptocurrency. Over the past few months, we have seen a sudden rise in malicious extensions that appear to offer useful functionality, while embedding hidden cryptocurrency mining scripts that run in the background without the user's knowledge. Last month, cryptocurrency miners were even found in a Russian nuclear weapons lab and on thousands of government websites . In January, cryptocurrency mining malware also infected more than half-million PCs . Until now, only those cryptocurrency mining extensions were allowed on the Chrome Web Store that are solely intended for mining, and explicitly informed users about its working and revenue model. If the company finds any mining extension developers submitted was not in compliance and secre

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future
Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu

Google Chrome Silently Listening to Your Private Conversations

Google Chrome Silently Listening to Your Private Conversations
Jun 25, 2015
Google was under fire of downloading and installing a Chrome extension surreptitiously and subsequently listened to the conversations of Chromium users without consent. After these accusations, a wave of criticism by privacy campaigners and open source developers has led Google to remove the extension from Chromium , the open-source version of the Chrome browser. The extension in question is " Chrome Hotword ," which was found to be responsible for offering the browser's famous " OK, Google " functionality. ' Ok, Google ' is certainly a useful feature that allows users to search for things via their voice when they use Google as their default search engine, but its something that also enables eavesdropping of every single conversation made by a user. Google Silently Listens to your Conversation This issue came to light by Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge , who says Google has silently installed black box code into the open-so

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

cyber security
websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.

I keep 200+ Browser Tabs Open, and My Computer Runs Absolutely Fine. Here's My Secret.

I keep 200+ Browser Tabs Open, and My Computer Runs Absolutely Fine. Here’s My Secret.
Jun 12, 2015
I don't know about your part, but I make heavy use of tabs. I currently have 200+ tabs open in my Google Chrome Web browser. And sometimes the number is even more. For me it's a daily thing, as I regularly open new tabs because of my habit of reading lots of stuff online, including cyber security updates, hacking news, knowledgeable articles of various categories, new recipes to cook something delicious and, of course, funny viral videos. Browsers — Everything for us, But Biggest Memory Eaters! I think you'll agree with me when I say: It's really hard to manage so many tabs on Chrome — and Firefox too. But worse still is the obstruction in the performance of your computer, as the tabs continue to run background processes and feed on your system's memory. It gets difficult to sort through them, everything slows down, and sometimes it crashes the browser itself. Doesn't it? But, I really don't face any issue while surfing on 200+ tabs at one time

Upcoming Google Password Alert 1.7 Update Could Disable Phishing Warning Feature

Upcoming Google Password Alert 1.7 Update Could Disable Phishing Warning Feature
May 05, 2015
Google Chrome browser's new Anti-Phishing Password Alert extension is in controversies right after its launch last Wednesday, but now the search engine giant has effectively pulled off Password Alert from its store. Password Alert was not bypassed once, twice, but every time Google introduced a new updated version of the extension. Google developed this Password Alert Chrome extension in an effort to alert Internet users whenever they accidentally enter their Google password on a carefully crafted phishing website that aimed at hijacking users' account. Here's the worst part: However, the first version of Password Alert was bypassed in less than 24 hours of its launch.  Security expert Paul Moore from UK-based Urity Group quickly circumvented the Anti-Phishing technology by pure JavaScript code of seven lines. Since then Google released Password Alert version 1.4, version 1.5 and version 1.6, but… ...all of them were bypassed, keeping users unaware o

Password Alert Chrome Extension to Protect your Google Account from Phishers

Password Alert Chrome Extension to Protect your Google Account from Phishers
Apr 30, 2015
As cybercriminals have started using sophisticated phishing techniques in an attempt to hijack online users' account, Google on Wednesday launched a new Chrome Extension to fight against Phishing . The search engine giant has launched a new Password Alert Chrome extension that will alert you whenever you accidentally enter your Google password on a carefully crafted phishing website that aimed at hijacking your account. So, GO and INSTALL the freely available, open-source Password Alert extension which is now available in the Chrome Web Store. Password Alert extension does two things: Prevents you from re-using your Google account password on other websites. Protects you if you've typed the same Google password on a non-Google website by generating a warning that you have just been phished and should immediately change your password. According to the company , nearly two percent of the e-mail messages to Google's Gmail are phishing emails from cyber

Google Removes 200 Ad-Injectors Chrome Extensions

Google Removes 200 Ad-Injectors Chrome Extensions
Apr 02, 2015
In the War against Ad injectors , Google has started removing ad-injecting extensions for its Chrome browser after it discovered as many as 200 Chrome extensions that exposed Millions of its users to malicious software and fraudulent activities. While working with a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the search engine giant found that over 5 percent of its users were infected with ' Ad Injectors ' — software that inserts ads or replace existing ads into the pages you visit while browsing the web. In last three months, Google received more than 100,000 complaints from its Chrome users about ad injection, which is far more than what the company receives for network errors, performance problems, or any other issue. Ad Injectors are sometimes more than just intrusive. A visitor to a website can be tricked into downloading an unwanted software and programs that could result in a major security risk, just what happened in the recent Sup

Optimize Web Pages Using "Data Saver Chrome Extension" to Save Bandwidth

Optimize Web Pages Using "Data Saver Chrome Extension" to Save Bandwidth
Mar 27, 2015
Google want to save its users' bandwidth at home. The company has released a " Data Saver extension for Chrome , " bringing its data compression feature for its desktop users for the first time. While tethering to a mobile Hotspot for Internet connection for your laptop, this new Data Saver extension for Chrome helps you reduce bandwidth usage by compressing the pages you visit over the Internet. If you are unaware of it, the data compression proxy service by Google is designed to save users' bandwidth, load pages faster, and increase security (by checking for malicious web pages) on your smartphones and tablets. REDUCE AS MUCH AS 50% OF DATA USAGE  Until now, the data compression service has been meant to benefit only mobile users, but the latest Data Saver Chrome Extension aims at helping desktop users by reducing their data usage by as much as 50 percent. " Reduces data usage [bandwidth] by using Google servers to optimize pages you visit,

Simplest Way to Check If Your Emails Are Being Tracked

Simplest Way to Check If Your Emails Are Being Tracked
Mar 23, 2015
You might be not aware of the companies that know pretty much everything related to your email activities like when you've opened email sent by one of their clients, where you are located, what device you're using, what link you click, all without your consent, even if you haven't click any link provided in that email. Companies like Yesware , Bananatag, and Streak track emails , usually by adding small pixels or images to those emails which inform the companies that when and where their emails have been opened by the recipients. If you find this something different then let you know that this sort of email tracking is very common practice adopted by many companies. However, in order to detect these tracking emails, now you have a simple but effective tool. UGLY EMAIL -- DETECT EMAIL TRACKERS Dubbed " Ugly Email ", a new Chrome extension warns you when an email you receive in your Gmail inbox have the ability to track you, and it even works before opening t
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