{"id":197654,"date":"2021-03-09T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/"},"modified":"2021-03-09T09:40:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T06:40:00","slug":"did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/","title":{"rendered":"#Did You Know Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aefe3ef17758\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aefe3ef17758\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/#Extensions_Have_Access_to_Everything_in_Your_Web_Browser\" >Extensions Have Access to Everything in Your Web Browser<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/#Theres_a_Permission_System_but_Most_Extensions_Get_Everything\" >There\u2019s a Permission System, but Most Extensions Get Everything<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/#Is_It_a_Real_Risk\" >Is It a Real Risk?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/#Only_Install_Extensions_from_Developers_You_Trust\" >Only Install Extensions from Developers You Trust<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Did You Know Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-716780 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/laptop-and-credit-card.jpg\" alt=\"A person holding a credit or debit card while typing on a laptop.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/close-man-shopping-online-using-laptop-165672314\" data-credittext=\"Rido\/Shutterstock.com\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/close-man-shopping-online-using-laptop-165672314\">Rido\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whenever you sign in to your bank account, your browser extensions watch. They can see your account balances, your transactions, and your online banking password. They see everything in your browser: passwords, credit card numbers, private messages, and the websites you visit.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Extensions_Have_Access_to_Everything_in_Your_Web_Browser\"><\/span>Extensions Have Access to Everything in Your Web Browser<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Have you ever paid attention to the message you see when installing a browser extension in Chrome, for example? For most browser extensions, you\u2019ll see a message stating that the add-on can \u201cRead and change all your data on the websites you visit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignnone wp-image-716779 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/chrome-extension-warning.png\" alt=\"Chrome's permission prompt when installing the DuckDuckGo extension.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This means that the browser extension has full access to all the web pages you visit. It can see which web pages you\u2019re browsing, read their contents, and watch everything you type. It could even modify the web pages\u2014for example, by inserting extra advertisements. If the extension is malicious, it could gather all that private data of yours\u2014from web browsing activity and the emails you type to your passwords and financial information\u2014and send it to a remote server on the internet.<\/p>\n<p>So, when you sign in to your online banking account, your browser extensions are right there with you. They can see your password as you log in and view everything you can see on your online banking account. They could even modify the online banking page before you view it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Why Do Chrome Extensions Need &#8220;All Your Data on the Websites You Visit&#8221;?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Theres_a_Permission_System_but_Most_Extensions_Get_Everything\"><\/span>There\u2019s a Permission System, but Most Extensions Get Everything<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re oversimplifying things here, but just a little bit: Not every extension can see your online banking account. There is a permission system for browser extensions in modern web browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>le Safari. Some browser extensions use much fewer permissions.<\/p>\n<p>For example, they may only run when you click the browser extension\u2019s button, which means that they can\u2019t actually watch anything on a web page until you click that button. They may only run on specific websites\u2014for example, a browser extension that affects Gmail might only run on Google\u2019s website and not on other websites.<\/p>\n<p>However, the vast majority of browser extensions that most people use have permission to run on every website the browser loads.<\/p>\n<p>In Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, you can control an extension\u2019s \u201csite access\u201d permissions and choose whether it runs automatically on all websites you open, only when you click it, or just on specific websites you list.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignnone wp-image-716778 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/extension-permission-in-chrome.png\" alt=\"Right-clicking an extension toolbar icon in Chrome to change its site access.\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Control a Chrome Extension&#8217;s Permissions<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_It_a_Real_Risk\"><\/span>Is It a Real Risk?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What we\u2019re saying here is that most (or all) of the browser extensions you use can see your bank account information, just as they can see everything else that you do on the web.<\/p>\n<p>If a browser extension is totally trustworthy and reliable, that\u2019s fine. The browser extension can behave responsibly and not capture any data or interfere with your banking information.<\/p>\n<p>If a browser extension isn\u2019t trustworthy and wants to abuse this access\u2014well, it can.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t just a theoretical problem. It has\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/50039\/chrome-extensions-with-80-million-installs-caught-injecting-phony-search-results\/\">happened many times before<\/a>. Even if all your extensions are fine right now, we have long discussed the danger: A safe extension could transform into malware overnight. A developer might sell the extension to another company, and that company might add tracking code, keyloggers, or anything else. This sort of thing is big business. An extension could display more ads in the web pages you load and track you to better target ads, or criminals could capture your passwords, personal information, and credit card numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Your browser will automatically install the update and the new, malicious version of the extension will get to work. Hopefully, your browser\u2019s developer will notice the problem and disable the extension\u2014for example, Google might remove it from the Chrome Web Store\u2014but this can take some time.<\/p>\n<p>And yes, some extensions have been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/information-technology\/2017\/08\/bank-fraud-malware-not-detected-by-any-av-hosted-in-chrome-web-store-twice\/\">caught capturing banking data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Browser Extensions Are a Privacy Nightmare: Stop Using So Many of Them<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Only_Install_Extensions_from_Developers_You_Trust\"><\/span>Only Install Extensions from Developers You Trust<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re not telling you you need to uninstall every single browser extension you have. Instead, just realize the immense access you\u2019re giving to the browser extensions you install, and act accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>If you trust an extension\u2019s developer, then by all means, install that extension. For example, if you use a password manager and already trust that organization with your passwords, feel free to install your password manager\u2019s browser extension. (If you don\u2019t trust that organization to install a browser extension, you definitely shouldn\u2019t trust it to manage your passwords!)<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, if you want a nifty feature and you find an extension that offers it, but you\u2019ve never heard of the developer and aren\u2019t sure how much you should trust them\u2014consider skipping the browser extension.<\/p>\n<p>You might also want to limit the access that the extension has. For example, you could install an extension and configure it to only run on specific websites in Chrome or Edge, or you could use a separate browser that doesn\u2019t have any potentially dangerous extensions installed to do your online banking.<\/p>\n<p>But think about it: If you don\u2019t trust the extension, maybe you shouldn\u2019t be running it in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, browser extensions have access to everything you do in your web browser. When you\u2019re thinking about installing a browser extension, ask yourself this question: Would you install a Windows desktop application from the creator of the browser extension and let it run in the background on your computer? If not, consider skipping the browser extension, too.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Extensions may look like small programs, but they\u2019re more powerful than they might seem. A mobile app on iPhone or Android can\u2019t see everything you do on your phone, but a typical browser extension can see everything you do in your web browser.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/716771\/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Did You Know Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account?&#8221; Rido\/Shutterstock.com Whenever you sign in to your bank account, your browser extensions watch. They can see your account balances, your transactions, and your online banking password. They see everything in your browser: passwords, credit card numbers, private messages, and the websites you visit. Extensions&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":197655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/laptop-and-credit-card.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-197654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}