Chromebooks Are For Seniors - Ron Brown - APCUG VTC - 8-19-17 https://youtu.be/4uszFPNL-SU

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Are more secure than laptops?

Google’s security features in ChromeOS When set about designing ChromeOS it had the distinct advantage of being able to see the problems that Windows, macOS, and even Linux had struggled with when it came to security.

With this in mind it implemented five key features that make ChromeOS a formidable system for hackers to crack. ​ ​

Automatic Updates As new threats become known, it’s vital that patches are applied quickly to thwart them. Google has an excellent track record on this, as not only does it release fixes on a very regular basis, but with Chromebooks guaranteed

OS updates for seven years after release, the majority of users are running the most up to date version anyway.

his can be an issue on other platforms, where differing combinations of OS ​ ​ versions and hardware can delay patches.

Sandboxing If something does go wrong, and malware gets onto a , there’s not much damage it can do. Each tab in ChromeOS acts as a separate entity with a restricted environment or ‘sandbox’. This means that only the ​ ​ affected tab is vulnerable, and that it is very difficult for the infection to spread to other areas of the machine.

In Windows and macOS the malware is usually installed somewhere on the system itself, which makes it a threat with a much wider scope. There are ways to restrict this of course, with anti-virus software, regular system ​ ​ scans, and not running as an administrator. ​ ​

But ChromeOS keep everything simple, and in doing so makes it easier for the system to clean things up without much input required from the user. ​ ​ That’s not to say that it’s perfect though. One vulnerability used by attackers has been Chrome extensions.

The most effective hack involved the popular AdBlock Plus extension, or rather a malicious doppelgänger posing as the service. By using the same ​ ​ icon and only slightly adjusting the name, it managed to fool thousands of people into installing the extension. This then served ads to the unsuspecting victim.

Once the hack was discovered it was immediately deleted by Google, thus removing it from any infected machines, but it does show that users still need to remain vigilant.

Verified Boot Should a clever piece of malicious software evade the security features ​ ​ above, then it will crash into the wall that is Verified Boot.

Whenever a Chromebook is turned on it goes through a self-diagnoses process, looking for any code that doesn’t belong. During this Verified Boot the device automaticallyquarantines and removes anything that isn’t from ​ ​ Google.

Turning it off and on again really does fix things.

Windows does something similar with its Secure Boot feature, which can be very effective against rootkits that try to replace the boot loader when a

PC starts up. But, with Windows being a far more complex operating system than ChromeOS, and a high value target for hackers due to its popularity, attacks do occasionally find a way around the Windows security efforts.

Data Encryption The majority of software on a Chromebook is stored and run in the cloud.

There are still local , which take the form of downloads, browser

caches, cookies, and whatnot. These can be used by hackers to find out what a person has been doing online, so Google encrypts them on the device to prevent any snooping.

Data encryption is available for users on Windows 10, but only in the Pro versions of the operating system. Turning on Bitlocker will encrypt all data on the drive, making it much harder for hackers to get at anything useful, although there may be a trade-off in terms of performance.

To protect the data that travels between any type of laptop and online servers, a VPN remains the best solution. Chromebooks, Macs, and

Windows PCs all have a wide range to choose from, and you can read more about them in our How to use a VPN feature. ​ ​

Powerwash Finally, there’s the nuclear option of wiping the entire system and starting again. On Windows this can feel like a major operation, although Microsoft has definitely improved the process in recent years, with Windows 10 making it easy thanks to the ‘Reset this PC’ feature.

(Talking of Windows, some Chromebooks can run Windows apps now). ​ ​

ChromeOS makes this even simpler though, due to its Powerwash option that can completely wipe the drive and reinstall a fresh version of

ChromeOS in just a couple of minutes.

The real advantage is that as the apps are mainly on the cloud, you don’t have to wait for everything to reinstall. Just hit the Powerwash button, wait a couple of minutes, log in, and you’re pretty much up and running once more.

So Chromebooks really are more secure? For many elements, Chromebooks do appear to protect the user more than other systems. But, and this is important, many attacks these days avoid malware or viruses, and instead go for tricking the user into giving away their information instead.

From these kind of ‘phishing’ scams, a Chromebook is as vulnerable as any other machine, so don’t see ChromeOS as a panacea for security.

Instead, it’s a very forgiving system that on the most part means clicking on those malicious malware links doesn’t necessarily bring about disaster as much as it would on another laptop.

Of course, privacy is a different debate. There’s no doubt that having your data stored locally on a drive, and using installed software can keep your activities away from prying algorithms. This is the trade off Chromebooks demand, but with so much of our activities moving online, and a wider selection of the software we use requiring some kind on internet connection, this might soon become a moot point.

Thankfully, there are different options for different circumstances. You pays your money, /////and you takes your choice.

*Work Cited: By Martyn Casserly | 17 July 2018 ​ ​ ​ https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/feature/laptop/are-chromebooks-more-secur e-than-laptops-3680701/

Chromebook basics

Now, about setting up your new Chromebook. You need to create a account to use a Chromebook. You need to be online to set it up, but you can still do certain thing such as create documents on it offline. When creating this account, use a strong password that you will not have too much trouble typing. Also, write down the password before applying it to the account. Save that password in two places. In that account go to Settings and be sure to click on “sign-in and security” to apply 2-step verification. When doing that, you should put in your cellphone number for the second step of the verification. Here are some links to how to start up and use a Chromebook: Chromebook Basics on GCFlearnfree https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/chromebookbasics/

Getting to know the Chromebook interface https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/chromebookbasics/getting-to-know-the-chrome book-interface/1/

Chrome OS () Tutorial Chrome OS (aka Chromium) is the operating system found in every Google Chromebook. In this tutorial, David will show you how this simple operating system could be a great addition to your gadget family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Le66pSxAlc&t=1450s

Got A New Chromebook? 10 Things You Need To Know https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTGs-CekbhY

Why Use a Chromebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zqNbcQ8JHQ

TOP5: Best Chromebook 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p3yqI-0520

Cloud Print?

How to replace your PC with a Chromebook ( CloudReady Chromium) https://youtu.be/7Ha3ZpvLTdA

Neverware’s website: https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3

CloudReady Webinar https://youtu.be/WG0yHj9BthY

CloudReady Free Version - Installation Tutorial with Narration https://yhttps://youtu.be/bUBSvz4UkG4outu.be/bUBSvz4UkG4

How to Update the Media Plugins for Neverware's CloudReady Chromium OS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3aT6iUEBm8

Daul Boots with Neverware CloudReady Chromium?

For Reference: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tutorial+neverware+cloudr eady