Busting browser fails: What attackers see when they hack your employees’ browser

Web browsers are integral to daily online activities, offering functionalities that can, unfortunately, be exploited by cybercriminals, making them a common target for cyberattacks. These attacks often leverage vulnerabilities in browsers, plugins, and extensions, allowing attackers access to sensitive information such as passwords, session tokens, and even credit card details. Browsers store passwords and session cookies, which can be exploited if an attacker gains access. Browser plugins and extensions, while enhancing functionality, can introduce security risks if they contain vulnerabilities or if users are tricked into downloading malicious ones. Attackers can inject malicious code into websites to hijack browsers and exploit IoT devices on internal networks. The use of JavaScript poses additional risks, as it can be used to extract information from the browser and control it to communicate with other machines. To mitigate these risks, users should avoid saving passwords in browsers, regularly update software, carefully manage extensions, and maintain strong local passwords. Organizations should enforce security settings through global policies to protect their systems and data.