Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report — a large annual study based on thousands of real security incidents — confirms that attackers have dramatically shifted their tactics toward your web browser. Instead of breaking into systems through technical exploits, they’re now using malicious browser extensions and convincing phishing pages to steal login credentials and take over accounts.
What makes this especially concerning is how invisible these attacks can be. A browser extension that looks helpful can quietly read everything you type — including passwords and credit card numbers. A phishing page can look nearly identical to your bank or email login. The DBIR found that credential theft through browser-based methods has increased significantly over the past year, affecting everyday users across all demographics.
How to check if you’re affected
Affected versions of your browser, especially with extensions installed from unofficial sources, may be running tools that silently monitor your activity. To check:
- Open your browser’s extensions page (Chrome: type
chrome://extensions/in the address bar; Firefox: typeabout:addons). - Remove any extensions you don’t recognize or no longer use — fewer is safer.
- Make sure your browser is fully updated: go to the Help or About menu and check for updates.
- Verify that phishing and malware protection is enabled — it’s built into Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari by default, but worth confirming it’s turned on.