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Millions of Dell laptops at risk of attack due to security chip flaw — update your PC right now
Millions of Dell laptops were vulnerable to attack that would have let potential hackers steal sensitive data and monitor activities thanks to a chip flaw.
As reported by Reuters, Dell has released a fix to address a vulnerability which impacts a chip in many of its laptops that stores biometric data, passwords, security codes and more. The flaw was first discovered by researches at Cisco Talos.
Dell apparently validated this analysis in a June security advisory in which it explained that the flaw affects more than 100 models of the company’s laptops.
Fortunately, no one has found indications that the flaw has been exploited in the wild, according to Cisco’s researchers. Apparently, Dell issued security patches for the issue starting in March and then into April and May.
The Reuters report says the vulnerable chip was the Broadcom BCM5820X which Dell was using in its ‘ControlVault’ software. Reuters does note that the laptops using that software are more likely to be used in industries handling sensitive information as it’s designed to offer heightened security features.
A Dell spokesperson told Reuters that it addressed the flaw “quickly and transparently.”
“As always, it is important that customers promptly apply security updates that we make available and move to supported versions of our products to ensure their systems remain secure,” the spokesperson said.
How to stay safe
This vulnerability does highlight some of the downsides to keeping biometrics and other sensitive information on your laptop, even with on-device security that is more common today.
Fortunately, there are ways to stay safe in addition to installing the latest security patches. For instance, we’ve put together a list of 12 mistakes that you should avoid making with your computer.
Relevant to today’s news, you should make sure you keep your software up to date, especially security patches. Many people don’t update out of an unwillingness to interrupt tasks or fear of new bugs and flaws.
However, keeping your system updated will help make sure you don’t have giant holes in your system. Many of these updates can be automated or scheduled, so make sure you don’t avoid them and leave your machine vulnerable.
Likewise, it’s always a good idea to make sure that your laptop and other devices are protected against malware and other threats by using one of the best antivirus software suites.
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