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Viruses in Chrome OS

One feature that makes Chrome OS such a lovely and admirable operating system is its high security; Chrome OS acts like a Castle with so many doors for a virus to get into it. Also, Google likes to show off its favorite operating system, especially on how much the Chromebook is secure and unbreakable.

In today’s article, we’ll talk about whether it’s true and, if it is, how an operating system can fight viruses again.

What are Viruses?

The best way to understand this matter is to know what viruses are.

We can say it this way; Viruses are the most common shape of malware; they carry around some destructive codes, and often they are executable, which means the user can run it, or the virus runs itself; when the viruses are running, they spread their codes and command all-around your system.

When the codes are free, they can do multiple things; for example, they can clear your data or information, rewrite them, or even replace themselves as the system files; in that case, it would be so exhausting to determine them from the original files in your system.

To know how the viruses work, we can give you an example; in Windows OS, the files that are counted as viruses come in .exe format, and their most common target is Windows.exe, but in chrome OS, due to the lack of execution, the .exe files, there is no threat from this type of files. Also, viruses and malware often attack older operation systems and familiar OS; since Chrome OS was just released recently, there is such malware for it.

How is Chrome OS so Safe?

In Chrome OS, many items and modules make it the safest operating system in the game; the easiest one to mention is the Updates, Chrome OS is constantly trying to check for new update packages, and there are often so few that will be installed in a matter of seconds, having the latest security patches and fresh features, give the user insurance that their system in invulnerable in facing viruses for at least four months.

Each time the user tries to boot up the Chrome book, the Operation System does a checkup on every file in the device, If it counters any virus or malware, the system itself will remove it, or if it finds any corrupted file or data in the system, the auto repair will start.

One of the features that google is proud of is sandboxing; this feature works like many boxes; each application or extension or any part of the operating system has one individual sandbox, which means apps and software’s cant interrupt each other or have any more permission than what the administrator set for them.

With this feature, the malware won’t be able to harm any other application or access any part of the operation system.

Is Chrome OS vulnerable at all?

Viruses are just one of the many shapes of malware. Chrome OS, just like any other device, is still vulnerable to different kinds of malware, for example, malware that shapes itself as an extension for google chrome, or harmful android viruses and applications, also there would make a little security hole for those who have Android and Linux apps installed in their devices.

This type of malware is not unique to Chrome os; it can be found everywhere; any user who uses android devices and chrome browser is in danger of this type of malware, now the threat of it can multiply if the user tries installing random Android and Linux apps on their Chromebooks.

How to Keep Chrome OS safe?

Here are some ways to reduce the risk of Chrome OS being infected with the malware:

Beware of phishing and scam sites: Chrome OS is a browser upgraded by Chromium browser, which means that Chrome OS can not stand against malware that tries to steal your information through the site Are prevented, such as phishing sites that steal your bank information and accounts, the best way to avoid this from happening is to trust reputable sites for online shopping.

Download Google Chrome extensions from​ trusted sources:

One of the popular features of Google Chrome is the use of application extensions; Google has done an excellent job of keeping the Google Store secure; we highly recommend you do not download the attachment, plugins, and applications for your chrome browsers anywhere besides the chrome browser official store.

Avoid Developer Mode: One of the things that make Chrome OS secure is the developer mode being turned off, which does not allow unauthorized third-party applications to access the operating system, so malicious programs have less chance; the developer mode can be a powerful tool, if you do not need to install Google Chrome applications, it is better to turn off this option.

Update your Chromebook: Chrome OS checks for updates every time your system is turned on and automatically downloads and installs them if a new update is released. It will show that it is best always to install these updates if you are trying to keep your Chrome OS safe. After the installation, you will be prompted to restart the system.

Put your operating system on stable build: In Chrome OS, there are three completely different modes in it, stable mode, beta, and developer; in the developer mode that we explained to you above, you can install Linux operating system apps; in beta, you will be able to install Chrome OS versions that are available to users in trial mode, in this case, your operating system will not be very stable and may have some problems. This is why users looking for a smooth and hassle-free experience with their systems are advised to use Stable Build.