“What we’re seeing is an increase in criminal use of extensions,” says William Peteroy, CEO of the security firm Icebrg. Google says that malicious extension installs have decreased by roughly 70 percent over the last two and a half years, but a steady stream of recent research findings show that the problem, and risk to users, is far from resolved. As with Android apps, though, Chrome extensions can sometimes hide malware or other scourges, even when you install them from the official Chrome Web Store. These handy little applets give you seamless access to services like Evernote or password managers, or put your Bitmoji just a click away.
You need to keep an eye on your desktop Chrome extensions as well. But your hyper-vigilant download habits should extend beyond your smartphone. A flashlight app with only 12 reviews might be hiding some malware as well.
You already know to be wary of third-party Android apps, and even to watch your back in the Google Play Store.
