14 DAY TRIAL // “Privacy” has been the key word for everyone over the past couple of months since news about the NSA surveillance programs reached the media.
Once this happened, everyone started questioning the services they’ve been using for years. How safe are they? How much data can companies collect? How can we protect our private data?
Well, as we’re all trying to figure out the answers to these inquiries, new issues seem to appear every day.
An issue brought to attention recently isn’t even new, although the seriousness of the security flaw really is something that should be considered.
The product in question is Google Chrome, which lets everyone using your computer get a glimpse at your saved passwords if they know where to look for. Of course, this isn’t a feature that comes with the latest Chrome version or even something that has been recently added, but still, it’s something to worry about.
Basically, if you leave your computer unsupervised and unlocked, anyone can find out your passwords. The entire process is quite simple and it doesn’t even require any particular computer knowledge.
You can access the Settings area, click the “Show advanced settings…” option and then the “Manage saved passwords” under the “Passwords and forms” section.
This reveals a list of sites you have passwords saved for. Clicking on any of the items displays the obscured passwords. However, clicking on the “show” button right next to it will display the actual text of the password that can easily be copied by anyone.
This can be a serious security issue, especially for those who do not lock their computers and who work in offices with loads of people or share their PCs with other individuals.
It seems, however, that Google doesn’t intend to change this issue. And since Chrome is one of the most used browsers along with Internet Explorer and Firefox, who knows how many people are putting their passwords at risk by not securing their computers.