A software designed to prevent identity theft exposed Google Chrome’s huge security flaw in which its cache automatically stores its users’ data without their consent.
Researchers from the Identity Finder discovered that the caching mechanism of Chrome consistently stores a user’s name, email address, home address, telephone number, bank account details, credit card numbers, and social security numbers directly to his hard drive in simple text without letting him know or asking his consent.
The browser cache works as a web-sourced file storage place that will help the user access the web pages faster when he visits them again.
Chrome ranks as the third most popular web browser with a market share rating of 16 percent. It follows Firefox and Internet Explorer which hold a market share of 19 percent and 58 percent.
However, the revelation has put Chrome in a hot seat and has warned any user or business to be up on their heels when using the browser.
"Private information is being served on a silver platter for any criminal industrious enough to gain access," says Identity Finder CEO Todd Feinman to USA Today. "This should frighten any consumer or business using Google Chrome."
This is the second time that Chrome has been discovered to have a security flaw in a span of three months. On July, NSS Labs have conducted a study on the privacy mechanisms employed by Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. They rated Chrome as the poorest when it comes to privacy protection feature.
Employees and consumers are advised to regularly clear the cache of their Chrome browser. This is something that they can continue doing until Google finally resolves the gaping security issue. Since these security threats have been embedded into Chrome for so long, browser makers should do whatever they can to secure all browser data that have been stored.
