Mid-March 2021, Google made an update available for its Chrome web browser in order to address five security flaws, one of which was a zero-day vulnerability. A zero-day vulnerability means that hackers are finding and taking advantage of the vulnerability before Google had a chance to find and fix it themselves. With Chrome being one of the top 5 internet browsers in use today, this leaves the possibility of a large number of vulnerable browsers still being used.
Also, important to note is that this problem extends to Microsoft’s Edge Chromium browser as well so if you are using either of the two browsers be sure to get them updated like yesterday.
Often when these browsers are initially installed, they are set to automatically update by default. If your browser is not, you might want to consider changing this setting. If you prefer not to have automatic updates, you can manually update your browser(s). Instructions on how to change the default update settings and how to update each browser manually are easy to find with a quick internet search and are also straightforward, meaning your average user could follow them with no trouble.
If you are a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge Chromium user, be sure you don’t let this slip past you as it could cause a lot of heartache down the road.
For additional tips and best practices to secure your web browser click here to read an article by the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).