
Last month, Microsoft released a timeline for the end of Flash, saying the Flash removal tool would become an optional update in Windows Update by early 2021. “We are releasing this removal update in advance of end of support to help customers test and validate their environments for any impact that might occur by the removal of Adobe Flash Player,” Microsoft noted. The latest version of Edge, using Google’s Chrome engine, will lose Flash support in January 2021. Windows 10 Flash support will officially die at the end of this year, with no further updates for Internet Explorer 11 and the legacy (non-Chromium) version of Edge by December. It doesn’t remove Flash from Microsoft Edge or other browsers, either.

However, as Bleeping Computer noted, the update (KB4577586) only removes the Flash version bundled into Windows 10, and not any standalone versions you’ve installed yourself. Tap or click here for 10 tips to keep Google Chrome secure.Microsoft has released an optional Catalog update that removes Adobe Flash from Windows 10 and prevents it from being reinstalled, paving the way for the eventual death of the app in 2021. Check reviews: See if others are warning about suspicious activity in the reviews of the extension you’re downloading.Īnother great way to stay safe is to enable Google’s Enhanced Protection for Chrome.Keep up to date: Ensure that your computer’s operating system and internet browser are always updated to the latest version.Don’t trust strangers: Don’t open or download an email attachment from someone you don’t know or trust.Even though bad downloads can sometimes slip through the cracks, official stores have robust security protocols. Never download extensions from third-party sites: Only use official extension library for your browser.If you see a pop-up to update or upgrade, it’s fake. The most important thing to remember is that Flash is no longer used. But just because it’s rampant on third-party libraries and unofficial sources doesn’t mean you’re safe. If you only download Chrome extensions from the official Google store, your chances of encountering Cloud9 are slim. RELATED: Check your browser! These malicious extensions have been installed 1M times How to keep your computer safe from malware It’s easy to use and cheap and is being used by many threat actors for their own purposes. The Cloud9 botnet is distributed for free or sold for a few hundred dollars on various hacker forums. In some cases, it can use your machine as part of a large botnet to launch DDoS attacks.Īccording to cybersecurity company Zimperium, the first instance of this malware goes back to 2017, and it has been updated several times.Inject malicious advertising into your browser.It looks like a legitimate extension but it’s actually the malicious Cloud9 browser botnet tool that hides a remote access trojan.
