People naturally take browsers for granted. Hackers don’t. Chrome is the top browser, so they look for weak spots. The new Chrome update fixes no less than 32 issues that put your computer at risk of hijacking.
Several of these issues are truly serious. Relatively simple weak spots are quite enough to let in a hacker. Unless you’ve actually seen a computer hijacked, ( I have, my own) you don’t quite appreciate what a mess even the most basic exploitation can cause.
It cost me $300 and an hour of someone else’s hard work to fix the hack. I was on the ceiling most of the time. That was $300 well spent.
There are much more serious risks, too. I got lucky, basically.
A site called KIMCOMANDO has a simple explanation of the Chrome issues, descriptions of problems, and a perfectly good and thorough description of the steps to update. It’s well worth reading to understand how tricky and risky these situations can get. See also Google’s blurb on the update.
Meanwhile – update your Chrome right now. It IS important.
This is incredibly simple:
- Hit the three dots on the top right for Chrome customization.
- Scroll down to Help.
- Hit About Google Chrome.
- You go to an update screen.
- Hit Update.
- Relaunch.
The whole process takes about 3-4 minutes max.
Also remember – If you want a safer internet, these very basic, easy things make it a lot safer by shutting down risks at the source. You’re not just helping yourself; you’re helping other users.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.