We’re always talking about the importance of keeping your software up to date. It is the very best way to avoid the vulnerabilities that can cause data breaches. When the Department of Homeland Security tells organizations to patch their software, however, it is urgent. This is exactly what has happened recently regarding the world’s most utilized Internet browser, Google Chrome.

DHS Warns of Current Attacks Via Chrome

Google has patched no fewer than five separate zero-day threats over the past month. A zero-day threat is an active vulnerability that attackers find before security professionals. Most times, these vulnerabilities have already been exploited to some degree, making them the most dangerous of the digital threats and requiring fast and decisive action.

In this case, the Chrome-based zero-day threats have been judged to be high severity attacks by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). They suggest that if any of the vulnerabilities were exploited it could enable hackers to control the computing systems in which it runs. One such exploit is tied to a JavaScript engine, while the other is a corruption of the Chrome browser itself.

Everyone that uses Google Chrome will want to immediately update their browser. Fortunately for most, this just involves completely closing Chrome and reopening it. If you aren’t sure, reach out to us.

Why These Updates are So Important

Simply put, if you don’t, you are still in danger of being exploited. That means data loss, malware, and worse. If a 30 second update is all it takes to ensure that your business’  data and infrastructure doesn’t have a noticeable hole in it, not running updates is simply negligent. 

If your business has a lot of endpoints and would like help running updates, or if you are sick of manually updating your computers and would like to talk to one of our consultants about our patch management program, call Data Net today at (760) 466-1200.