Keeping yourself safe online can be a daunting task. Online scams are rampant, and hackers and scammers seem to be getting more creative. Different scams try to lure you and steal your information by asking you to act on urgent messages, and it’s often hard to tell the difference between legitimate and not. To make matters worse, you can also be attacked without immediately realizing it. Read on for the major warning Microsoft just issued to all Windows users.
Related: Google just issued this urgent warning to all Android users.
George Doljik/Shutterstock
According to Android Authority, the latest version of Windows, Windows 11, is the most secure for protecting your information at home or at work. But like other computer operating systems, Windows is not immune to cybercriminals. In fact, nearly 300 vulnerabilities were discovered on the Windows platform in the last three months of 2022. Forbes. While Microsoft has been working hard to control and patch these flaws, Forbes Noted “there’s a lot of room for improvement” as yet another serious issue surfaced this month.
PR Image Factory/Shutterstock
In a “Patch Tuesday” update released by Microsoft, the company confirmed that it has discovered nearly 120 vulnerabilities, also known as exploits, that hackers could exploit to gain access to your system.According to reports Forbes, the vulnerability was found in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, and all versions of Windows Server. Both vulnerabilities were rated 9.8 out of 10 using the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which measures the severity of these vulnerabilities. also, Forbes Two “zero-day vulnerabilities,” or weaknesses that hackers discovered before vendors, have been exploited by cybercriminals, the report said. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
Microsoft is restricting information to ‘protect users’ but cites four specific threats ForbesTwo of these threats are of particular concern because they allow remote code execution (RCE), which exposes private user data that hackers can then use for ransomware extortion.
Related: For more up-to-date information, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
iStock
To best protect your computer and data, your Windows operating system needs to be updated. Over the next few weeks, Microsoft will release the April 2022 “Patch Tuesday” update, Forbes said, but you can now also manually check for updates. To do this, click the Start menu, then the gear icon or Settings, then Windows Update and Check for Updates.
Microsoft also lays out best practices in an article titled “Preventing Malware Infections,” noting that keeping software updated allows users to “benefit from a range of built-in security enhancements.” You also need to be careful about the links and attachments you click, which can open malware and cause downloads without your knowledge. According to Microsoft, malicious or infected websites are another way your system gets infected with malware.
Monticello/Shutterstock
Last week, Google made a similar announcement about multiple new hacks of its Chrome browser.also reported Forbes, a total of 11 hacking attacks were confirmed, of which 9 were classified as “High” threats and 2 of them were classified as “Medium” threats. Windows users need to be wary of this warning if they also use Chrome to search the web. These hacks also affected users with Apple/Mac platforms and Linux desktops.
Just as you update your Windows operating system, you also need to update Chrome. Google will roll out the update for all three platforms in the coming weeks, and if it’s currently available, you may see “Update” highlighted in green in the upper-right corner of your browser window. To check for updates manually, click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser, click Help, and then click About Google Chrome. You’ll be taken to a page to check for updates and instructed to restart Chrome to complete the update.
Related: If you get an email with these 3 words from the USPS, don’t click it.
