Online Safety

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How to Spot a Backdoor Disguised as a Productivity Tool Browser extensions are convenient. They block ads, manage passwords, check grammar, and automate repetitive tasks. But that convenience comes with a hidden risk: many extensions request permission to read and change all the data on every website you visit. When a seemingly innocent “productivity tool” turns out to be a backdoor, attackers can steal emails, login credentials, and internal corporate files without triggering any alarms. ...

How Meta’s AI Training With Keystrokes Could Affect Your Privacy — and What to Do About It If you use Facebook or Instagram, anything you type in those apps may now be used to train Meta’s artificial intelligence models. That includes messages, comments, search queries, and other text you enter while using the services. The company confirmed it is collecting keystroke data as part of its AI training pipeline, a move that has raised immediate concerns among privacy advocates and everyday users alike. ...

Your Productivity Tool Could Be a Spy: How Chrome Extensions Turn Into Backdoors Chrome extensions are a staple of modern browsing. They block ads, manage passwords, clip articles, and help remote teams collaborate. But behind that convenience lies a growing risk: extensions that start as legitimate tools can be hijacked, or built from scratch with malicious intent, to steal credentials, monitor browsing, and even sidestep corporate security. ...

The Hidden Danger of Chrome Extensions: How Your Productivity Tools Could Be Spying on You You probably have a handful of Chrome extensions installed right now. A grammar checker, a password manager, a note-taking tool, an ad blocker. They promise to save time, organize your work, or make browsing smoother. And most of them deliver on that promise—until one of them doesn’t. ...

Chrome Extension Risks: How to Detect a Backdoored ‘Productivity Tool’ The convenience of browser extensions comes with real security trade-offs. A recent investigation into compromised productivity tools shows that even trusted add-ons can become attack vectors overnight. Intro ...

Why Privacy Can’t Keep Up with AI — and What You Can Do About It The latest annual privacy survey from TrustArc, a privacy management firm, confirms what many users have suspected: AI adoption is racing ahead of the safeguards meant to protect personal data. According to the survey, 78 percent of organizations report that their privacy capabilities are struggling to keep pace with how quickly they’re deploying AI tools. Meanwhile, 65 percent of consumers say they are worried about how AI companies use their data. ...

AI Tools Are Getting Smarter — But Your Privacy Is Falling Behind If you’ve used a chatbot, image generator, or smart assistant lately, you’ve probably noticed how much more capable these tools have become. What you may not realize is that the companies behind them are racing ahead with AI while leaving privacy protections in the dust. A major new survey makes the gap plain: most organizations are adopting AI faster than they can build the safeguards needed to protect your personal data. ...

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How ‘Productivity’ Tools Are Hiding Malware You’ve probably done it: searched for a tool to block annoying pop-ups, manage tabs, or auto-fill forms, then clicked “Add to Chrome” without a second thought. It’s convenient, and most extensions are harmless. But a recent security report reveals a more dangerous trend: attackers are disguising backdoors as helpful extensions, and they’re targeting both corporate networks and everyday users. ...

AI Tools Are Outpacing Your Privacy Protections: What the Latest Survey Reveals If you use tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini, you’ve probably noticed how quickly they’ve become part of daily work and life. What’s less visible is how well companies are protecting the data you feed into those systems. A new global survey from TrustArc, a privacy management firm, suggests the answer is: not well enough. ...

Is Your Chrome Extension Spying on You? How to Spot a Backdoor Browser extensions make modern web browsing far more convenient, but that convenience comes with a risk that many people underestimate. Over the past few years, security researchers and law enforcement agencies have documented a surge in attacks that weaponize seemingly innocent Chrome extensions—especially those marketed as productivity tools. What looks like a helpful note‑taker or grammar checker may contain hidden code that steals credentials, exfiltrates sensitive data, or provides a backdoor into your entire system. ...