The Quiet Dangers of Browser Extensions: What Every Business Should Know
Browser extensions offer convenient productivity boosts, with benefits and features that make daily workflows easier.
But beneath these convenient add-ons lies a growing cybersecurity risk that too many businesses ignore.
The Quiet Danger of Browser Extensions
Browser extensions often run unnoticed, needing broad permissions that can expose your business to risk.
Many harvest data like keystrokes, passwords, or client records—without you knowing.
Unvetted or unapproved extensions can bypass IT oversight, opening the door to security breaches and compliance violations. Worse, once-trusted extensions can be updated with malicious code, leading to credential theft and serious data loss.
Consider these real-world extension exploits:
• Fake ChatGPT Extension (2023): A fraudulent Chrome extension disguised as a ChatGPT tool stole Facebook credentials and cookies, compromising over 40,000 user accounts. Click here to read about it via this safe link.
• Massive Chrome Supply Chain Attack (2024): Over 35 extensions were hijacked in a coordinated phishing attack, impacting 2.6 million users with injected spyware. Click here to read about it via this safe link.
• Dormant Colors (2023): Over 75 million downloads – Initially benign to avoid detection, these extensions later received updates that included malware capabilities (like ad injection, tracking, and redirecting traffic) Click here to read about it via this safe link.
What You Need to Know
We recommend a proactive, balanced approach: one that reduces risk without disrupting productivity, giving your team the tools they need while keeping your business secure.
•Establish a Browser Extension Policy:
Define what’s allowed, what’s blocked, and who’s responsible for oversight.
•Audit Regularly:
Monitor extension usage across all endpoints. Look for high-permission apps or ones without updates.
•Educate Your Team:
Train employees to identify red flags—like excessive permissions, low user ratings, or suspicious update activity.
•Review Extension Histories:
Know when a tool last updated, who owns it, and what access it requires.
Don’t Let Browser Extensions Become Your Weakest Link
Browser extensions aren’t inherently bad – they boost performance and make you more efficient.
But they need to be reviewed and managed like any software. If you set rules, monitor them, and train your team then you keep the benefits without opening the door to hidden risks.
Need help assessing your current risk and browser extension implementation process?