Topic: Can I trust my Chrome Extensions if I am a bitcoin user? (Read 1944 times)

Yeah, it's like keeping your window open and asking the neighbors not to peek...

Google was the favorite fishing site for heartbleed.

No browser can be trusted. No machine connected to internet can be trusted.

yeah but what about, you know...nanobots?

When it comes to software the only software that can be trusted is Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) from a reputable source. For example GNU/Linux. A distant second is propriety software that was fully paid for and is targeted at business users. Any propriety software targeted at consumers is very high risk and if it is also gratis then it is virtually guaranteed to contain malware and / or adware.

When it comes Chrome, it is propriety on both Microsoft Windows and OS X. Chromium on GNU/Linux is FLOSS big difference. The problem is that Google allows add supported extensions, very bad, so unless the Chrome extension is FLOSS and from a non commercial source I say stay well away. Mozilla Firefox (or a Firefox clone on GNU/Linux) is way safer. Even there one has to be very careful with propriety extensions.

Just because the vast majority of users use propriety software from companies that have made espionage deals with, and / or provided exclusive access to the source code to, agencies such as the NSA (United States) the FSB (Russia) or the PLA (China) does not mean one can have a secure computer running GNU/Linux with a very minimal risk to one Bitcoins even if the computer is regularly used online.

I have not had a single satoshi stolen from me by malware, even though I keep my Bitcoins on computers that are regularly used online, and have been using Bitcoin since 2011. The secret is FLOSS.

That is why, the most safe place bitcoin have, is on paper... paper wallet, you know. that is safe.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/01/malware-vendors-buy-chrome-extensions-to-send-adware-filled-updates/

Can you show some examples of that situation? Which extensions were good and now are malicious and not trustworthy?

I would be careful and definitely be sure to use cold storage for the majority of your bitcoins. I haven't personally heard of a malicious chrome plugin stealing bitcoins but it could happen.

No you cannot. I recently had an extension on another computer that had auto-updated itself to inject ads into webpages. Chrome Extensions by default auto-update and scammers are known to buy extensions with lots of users from developers so they can release malicious versions instead.

You should be keeping 95% of your stash in cold storage for starters.

Don't keep your bitcoins on your computer......use a password program so you are not constantly typing "real" passwords in....use a GOOD program like "Kaspersky Internet Security" for antivirus/malware....don't use 3rd party programs to access email accounts....use VPN.....always assume your computer is(or can be at any time)compromised....don't download anything from emails or forum links, even if it's from friends...

Or the internetz

Perhaps Lynx?

I use tor for the anonymity part...but Im not really sure if its anonymous..!! n I generally use Firefox which works just great.!! never had any issues with it.!! Chrome is faster..but it crashes a lot.!! cant work with shit like that.!

Nothing can guarentee that your Bitcoins are safe, so don't trust anything.

Just make sure you don't download crappy software, and don't store the majority of your coins on the same machine that you use to browse / download stuff.

Tails is a good start. Not just a browser, though.

What internet browser is best for security and anonymity? I'm currently using Chrome but after reading the posts here I'm rethinking that choice. Plus, Mozilla accepts Bitcoins donations which is good

You can't trust Chrome.

Pretty much you can't trust anything electrical if you're a bitcoin user.

Not unless you're willing to get hacked.