Chrome and iPad Security Issues

There's been a number of security breaches lately. And weird places too. "oh wow, everyone needs to panic now” kind of week. That’s exactly what happened with the recent iPad and Chrome security breaches. I guess it wouldn’t be technology if something didn’t *beep* up at the last minute just to keep us on our toes, right?

It was surprising on the last month to see some security stuff affecting iPads and Google Chrome. And let’s be honest, Apple people (and Google fans) went from “what’s a vulnerability?” to “should I throw away my iPad and live in the woods?” in about 60 seconds flat.

First up, the iPad stuff. Apple dropped a security update, which means there was something they needed to fix. Not uncommon. That’s just the way the tech world works - just less common with Mac stuff. Apple releases an update to patch a security hole, and suddenly everyone is acting like their tablet is about to be possessed. But the reason was, to avoid technical gobble, that a major security flaw was found and was being exploited by bad guys and really needed fixing fat.

The key here — and this is important — is this: update your iPad. Seriously. If you haven’t already done it, go do it now. Updates are boring and having to restart is frustrating but it's about keeping your device safe from idiots you don’t even want to imagine. It’s like putting a second lock on your front door after you find the first can be opened with a knife — you might never see someone try to break in, but you don’t want to find out the hard way.

Now while that was happening, Chrome had a major issue too. Because why should Apple have all the fun? Google announced a security issue in Chrome that could potentially be exploited - and had been. News sources were filled with messages about “critical vulnerabilities” and doom and gloom.

Here’s the thing though: yes, there was a vulnerability. But the folks at Google patched it pretty fast — and that’s exactly what we want them to do. It’s like if someone finds a crack in the fence around your backyard: you’d rather they tell you and fix it than pretend it’s not there. Chrome (and windows) updates are just like that. Sometimes stuff slips through the 10s of millions of lines of code — it happens — and the best thing companies can do is fix it quickly and quietly.

So what should you do about these computer and internet threats? Pretty simple: keep your devices up to date. That’s it. Updates can be annoying, they can interrupt your Disney or Netflix binge or make you restart at the worst possible moment, but they’re honestly one of the best defences you’ve got. If your device asks you to restart for an update, don’t treat it like a suggestion — treat it like your digital safety depends on it (because it actually kind of does).

Update and stay safe
The Computer Help NZ Team

Friendly Advice in Plain English.
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