Google Inc brags that computers running its recently released Chrome operating system are a lot safer than traditional PCs, partly because user data is stored in the Internet cloud and not on the machine. Yet, researchers at an independent computer security firm warn that the Chrome PC's reliance on Web computing makes it vulnerable to the same attacks that hackers have been launching on websites and Web browsers for years.
Matt Johansen, a researcher with WhiteHat Security, said he identified a flaw in a Chrome OS note-taking application that he exploited to take control of a Google email account. He reported it to Google, which fixed the problem and gave him a $1,000 reward for pointing it out. He has since discovered other applications with the same security flaw.
Google is betting that the launch of its Web-centric Chrome OS PCs will help reshape the decades-old personal computer industry, challenging entrenched players such as Microsoft Corp and Apple Corp The first Chrome PC laptop, from Samsung, went on sale earlier this month.
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