{"id":146045,"date":"2022-03-21T06:34:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T13:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=146045"},"modified":"2024-06-21T11:06:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T18:06:06","slug":"why-you-should-update-your-browser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/why-you-should-update-your-browser\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big Reason Why You Should Update Your Browser (and How to Do It)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The humble internet browser. Dutifully taking you the places you want to go online, whether that\u2019s the bank, the store, the movies, or even to work. All the more reason to make sure your browser gets every last bit of protection it can.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to fire up your browser without a second thought. Arguably, it\u2019s one of the first things many of us do when we hop on our computers. And because it\u2019s often our literal window into important tasks like managing our finances, making payments, and so forth, hackers will absolutely target browsers in order to conduct their attacks. Whether it\u2019s through vulnerabilities in the code that runs the browser, injecting malicious code into a browser session or any one of several other attack vectors<\/a>, hackers will try to find a way to compromise computers via the browser.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one of the best ways to keep your browser safe? In a word, update. By updating your browser, you\u2019ll get the latest in features and functionality in addition to security fixes that can keep you safer out there.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at what a safer browser is all about, how to update yours, and check out some additional things you can do to stay safer still.<\/p>\n

Browser hacks go way back\u2014and are here to stay<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Just as long as there have been browsers, there have been security vulnerabilities and issues. Among the first documented cases, one of the most noteworthy goes back to 1995<\/a> when researchers at the University of California, Berkeley uncovered a security issue with the way the Netscape browser handled online payments. Today, news of potential browser exploits and follow-on security measures to remedy them still make the headlines<\/a> all across several types<\/a> of popular browsers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reality of the issue is that browsers, humble as they may seem to us, are complex applications made up of myriad smaller applications to handle all manner of tasks that create your overall web browsing experience. And where there\u2019s code, there\u2019s room for error. Errors that hackers will look to exploit until an update comes along and fixes them.<\/p>\n

Browser plug-ins and extensions add extra features\u2014and potential risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Adding further functionality to your browser, and potentially further opportunities for hackers, are browser plug-ins and extensions. These are small apps that give your browser additional capabilities, like opening and editing documents, blocking ads, finding coupons, and even playing tabletop role-playing games in a browser as well. In short, there are thousands of them, often available in the various stores run by different<\/a> browser<\/a> developers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Likewise, browser plug-ins and extensions can be prone to security issues just like the browser they\u2019re installed in. Errors in their code may lead to exploits that hackers can take advantage of. Further, not all plug-ins and extensions are safe and secure to use. It\u2019s not uncommon for malicious ones to turn up on third-party sites that steal user information, introduce malware, or that end up serving ads on a person\u2019s computer, just to name a few of the nasty things they can do. Even official browser stores have had malicious plug-ins and extensions slip onto their shelves<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lastly, even seemingly legitimate plug-ins and extensions can introduce privacy issues<\/a>. Given that they\u2019re on your browser and have been granted permissions to work with it, they could be collecting data\u2014data which the developer may use, share, or resell. And it may be tough to know exactly what\u2019s being collected and what\u2019s being done with it. Yet like many smartphone app stores, browser stores are including links to developer privacy statements on the download page for the plug-ins and extensions they offer<\/a>, giving people more insight into how their data is used. However, sometimes plug-ins and extensions get sold from one company to another where they not only change owners but privacy policies as well. In other words, that plug-in or extension on your computer may get sold to another company without your knowledge and subsequently decide to use your data in an entirely new way.<\/p>\n

Given this landscape, there\u2019s a clear case for updating your browser regularly, along with your plug-ins and extensions as well. Moreover, you might want to take a look at what plug-ins and extensions you\u2019re running as well to ensure they\u2019re secure and that they\u2019re something you actually have use for.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at how you can do all that.<\/p>\n

So, do you keep your browser and extensions up to date?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Set up your browser to update automatically. This is relatively straightforward, and browser developers have pages that show you how it\u2019s done. For example, sampling a few of the browsers out there:<\/p>\n