Secure Talk Podcast

Have you ever wondered how secure your browser extensions really are? On our latest Secure Talk episode join us for a discussion with Sheryl Hsu, a researcher from Stanford Empirical Security Research Group.

We discuss their recent paper “What is in the Chrome Web Store? Investigating Security-Noteworthy Browser Extensions.” Sheryl and the team at the Stanford Empirical Security Research Group show that Security-Noteworthy Extensions (SNE) are a significant issue as they have a pervasive presence in the Chrome Web Store for years and affect almost 350 million users. In this great discussion we talk about the threat capabilities of nefarious code executed by plugins in the Chrome Browser. We also talk about the perverse incentives at Alphabet in managing the Chrome Web Store. They need to make plugins that have powerful capabilities, easy to deliver and sticky. But this creates the opportunity for powerful cybercrime tools, easily installed that are rarely inspected.

Fundamentally we ask 'who is responsible for security in the “app” economy'?

Research: https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12710

Show Notes

Have you ever wondered how secure your browser extensions really are? On our latest Secure Talk episode join us for a discussion with Sheryl Hsu, a researcher from Stanford Empirical Security Research Group. We discuss their recent paper “What is in the Chrome Web Store? Investigating Security-Noteworthy Browser Extensions.” Sheryl and the team at the Stanford Empirical Security Research Group show that Security-Noteworthy Extensions (SNE) are a significant issue as they have a pervasive presence in the Chrome Web Store for years and affect almost 350 million users. In this great discussion we talk about the threat capabilities of nefarious code executed by plugins in the Chrome Browser. We also talk about the perverse incentives at Alphabet in managing the Chrome Web Store. They need to make plugins that have powerful capabilities, easy to deliver and sticky. But this creates the opportunity for powerful cybercrime tools, easily installed that are rarely inspected. Fundamentally we ask 'who is responsible for security in the “app” economy'? Research: https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12710

What is Secure Talk Podcast?

Secure Talk reviews the latest threats, tips, and trends on security, innovation, and compliance.

Host Justin Beals interviews leading privacy, security and technology executives to discuss best practices related to IT security, data protection and compliance. Based in Seattle, he previously served as the CTO of NextStep and Koru, which won the 2018 Most Impactful Startup award from Wharton People Analytics. He is the creator of the patented Training, Tracking & Placement System and the author of “Aligning curriculum and evidencing learning effectiveness using semantic mapping of learning assets,” published in the International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJet). Justin earned a BA from Fort Lewis College.