Last week it happened again. Chrome had another zero-day exploit and had to update to Chrome version 99. It feels like every week, there is a new update to Chrome. And what we see – in a couple of days, update version 100 came out. And it’s not just Chrome. Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera all browsers continuously improve and secure themselves via patches and updates. Of course, this would be easier if you wouldn’t have to do this yourself, but your MSP or IT manager would take care of these automatic updates. He could always automate these patches via SCAPPMAN; sorry for the shameless plug.
Why should you update browsers?
There are 2 main reasons why your browsers should be always up to date – security and functionality.
1. For functionality reasons
We all have had an experience when an app or software stopped working on the device because OS was out of date. The same story with browsers.
When being on the website from an older browser, sometimes certain features on a page will stop working for you. Or you’re unable to use the page at all.
As with all tech-related stuff, coding languages get updated too. They become more advanced and even though the website may look the same, it’s no longer compatible with its outdated interpreter.
2. For security reasons
Browsers are only a tiny piece of software in your IT environment, but it’s the ones that can create the most damage in that environment. It’s the gateway for your users to explore information on the Internet. But it is also the gateway for exploiters to go into your network. These people with bad intentions prefer that gateway since it’s the one that users are using daily. So they (the hackers) are constantly looking if these browsers have flaws that they can exploit. The security patches alone are why you should always make sure you’re running a current web browser version. Outdated browser versions leave you vulnerable to attacks that expose your confidential information to suspicious websites.
You have automated software that detects these bugs for Chrome. But the question is, as an IT manager, do I have the tools to see if we have the latest version. We wrote a whole topic about Vulnerability Management. But the best thing you can do against these bugs is to automate the updates.
So then, you don’t have to worry about these updates anymore.
In conclusion, any browsers will keep on updating, and it’s up to us to keep an eye on it since the browsers are trying to keep up with the hackers and vice versa. And in many companies, it’s the only forceful way to get into their network and reach company critical data. That’s why browsers will keep on updating.
