Govt’s Warning For Google Chrome users ‘High-severity’ Warning : With cyber attacks being a major concern nowadays, the Central Government has recently issued a Warning for Google Chrome Users. Govt’s Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) issues a ‘High Severity’ warning against users who are currently using Google Chrome to surf the internet. The warning said that there is a major vulnerability in Google Chrome that has made it a target for hackers. With the warning, CERT-In has also given a few steps through which users can safeguard themselves and take preventive steps to overcome any security bugs and vulnerabilities.
What does Govt’s Warning about Google Chrome Say?
Recently, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the government agency dealing with cyber security threats, issued a ‘High Severity’ warning against a bug found in Google Chrome’s earlier version. The warning was issued for Google Chrome versions prior to 98.0.4758.80. Any user who has version prior to this installed on their system will be exposed to cyberattacks and security threats. The warning says “Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Google Chrome which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system.”
What does Google Say about Chrome Bug?
The agency said that Google Chrome versions prior to 98.0.4758.80 are affected by the vulnerabilities.
Earlier this month, Google publicly announced the release of Chrome 98 for Windows, macOS, and Linux users. The update included 27 security fixes in total, the company said.
Following the identification of security bugs in its version, Google has released an update for Google Chrome on 6th January 2022 which addresses this concern. The Internet Giant has released “Chrome 98 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac, and Linux” as per the official release. Google’s official Blog about the release update says that a number of fixes and improvements — a list of changes is available in the log.
How to safeguard yourself against Cyberattacks on Google Chrome?
Along with identifying and issuing warning against Google Chrome’s earlier versions; the CERT-In has also given a solution so that users can remain safe against Cyberattacks. The agency has recommended users to check the current version of Google Chrome and if it is found to be 98.0.4758.80 or earlier the same should be updated at the earliest. The step-wise guide to upgrade Google Chrome is provided below:
- Step 1: Open Google Chrome Browser
- Step 2: In the top right menu find and click on 3 dots to bring up detailed menu
- Step 3: Find and click on Settings option from the menu
- Step 4: Click on Three Lines in Top Left Corner and Click on About Chrome
- Step 5: Your Phone or Laptop will hint if new update is available for Chrome
- Step 6: If any new Update is available, click to update your Google Browser
- Step 7: Once updated, relaunch Google Chrome and your browser will be safe
About CERT-In
With cybersecurity and hacking being one of the major security concerns for the Government, CERT-In has been formed as a nodal agency in this domain. CERT-In stands for Indian Computer Emergency Response Team of India and is an office under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India. The agency was setup in 2004 under the Information Technology Act, 2000 Section (70B). The key goal of CERT-In is to safeguard Indian Citizens against cybersecurity threats and incidents, report any security vulnerabilities and issue best-practices for Information Technology Security.
