Are you using a malicious browser extension without realising?
June 8, 2022
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4
min read
Highlights
Extensions can make a browser more powerful. But some are malicious by design, and can flood you with adverts or malware. Here’s how to protect your business
There are hundreds of thousands of browser extensions designed to help us to save time, be more productive, and personalise our online experience.
And while the majority of them do what they’re supposed to, some are not designed to help you at all…
If you’re unfortunate enough to download a malicious browser extension without realising, it could harm your productivity and even flood your work with unwanted advertising.
This is known as adware. It’s a form of malware (malicious software) that’s designed to bombard you with unwanted adverts.
It can also change your search engine and send you to affiliate pages when you’re making purchases. These activities generate revenue for the extension’s creators.
In a recent report from a cyber security company, it revealed more than 4 million of its customers have been attacked by adware hiding in browser extensions over the last couple of years.
And often people didn’t realise they were under attack.
There’s a darker scenario where these malicious extensions are hiding actual malware which can infect your computer.
This can lead to sensitive data such as your logins or even payment details being stolen. And of course malware can spread across an entire network.
To keep your business and its data safe from the risk of malicious browser extensions, it’s important you only ever download them from reliable and trusted sources.
Read reviews and look at ratings. If a browser seems too good to be true it probably is.
As the business owner, you might also look into controlling which extensions can be installed by your team.
We can help with this, as well as looking at up-to-date software protection and (fun) security training for your team.
Tell us about yourself so we can serve you best.
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This special edition of our Leading London series brings together the partners behind the rollout of the City of London Corporation’s new unified network, a major upgrade designed to strengthen public services and improve connectivity across the Square Mile and beyond.
The panel included:
- Sam Collins, Assistant Director of Digital and Data, City of London Corporation
- Chelsea Chamberlin, Chief Technology Officer, Roc Technologies
- Scott McKinnon, Chief Security Officer, Palo Alto Networks
- Rhod Morgan, Chief Operations Officer, Vorboss
- Elliot Townsend, Senior Director, Juniper Networks
- Christa Elizabeth Norton, Marketing Director, Roc Technologies
Together, they explored how the new network will improve public services, strengthen cyber resilience and support a more connected, future-ready City.
For many landlords and building managers, the word “wayleave” feels like the responsible route whenever a fibre circuit is being installed on their property. It sounds formal and safe – a neat legal box to tick.
In many cases, however, a wayleave adds unnecessary complexity and delays, frustrates tenants, and can expose landlords to long-term legal risks.
At Vorboss, we’ve connected thousands of office spaces across London without a wayleave, keeping landlords in full control and getting tenants online faster.
What is a wayleave?
A wayleave is a written agreement between a landowner and a telecoms operator. It gives the operator permission to install and keep equipment on private property.
What many people don’t realise is that signing a wayleave also activates “Code rights” under the Electronic Communications Code. These rights go beyond simple permission, they give the operator legal powers to stay on the property indefinitely, access it when needed, and even refuse removal of their equipment in certain situations.
For a typical connection into a commercial building in London, a wayleave can make the fibre installation process slower, more expensive, and limit the landlord’s flexibility long term.
Why a wayleave isn’t required for standard in-building fibre connections
For a standard in-building fibre connection serving a tenant, a wayleave isn’t a legal requirement. Important protections, like building access, fire safety, repairing any damage, and removing equipment, are already covered by the tenant’s lease and usual building rules.
If no wayleave is signed, no Code rights are triggered, meaning the landlord retains full control and the installation exists under a simple, fully revocable licence.
In practice, this gives landlords far more protection and flexibility:
- No legal lock-in – the telecoms operator has no long-term rights to stay or refuse removal.
- Landlords keep full control – equipment can be moved or removed when the building changes.
- Faster fibre installation – no time lost in drafting contracts or solicitor reviews.
- Happier tenants – connections go live quicker; tenants get to move in faster.
By contrast, signing a wayleave and granting Code rights introduces a complex and expensive legal process for any fibre removal or relocation. This can take at least 18 months, plus potential court or tribunal proceedings, making it slower, and far less flexible for the landlord.
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