How everyday browsing exposes sensitive accounts and data

Web browsers have become the primary hub for how we live and work online. They store our passwords, payment cards, and personal details — even shaping the ads and recommendations we see. That convenience also makes the browser one of the most targeted parts of the modern digital experience. 

As more daily tasks move into the browser — from banking to identity verification to corporate app access — modern threats have evolved to exploit this shift. Attackers increasingly treat the browser as the quickest path into both personal accounts and the underlying infrastructure behind them. 

The risks grow even more when someone is connected to a sensitive environment, such as a work network. A single compromised browser session can expose corporate data, give attackers visibility into user activity, or enable unauthorized access via credential theft that ripples across the organization. 

Even during routine browsing like checking email, paying bills, or shopping, hidden browser threats can put users and the organizations they connect to at risk. Many of these attacks are stealthy, fast-moving, and difficult for users to spot. 

Good old fashioned in-browser attacks 

Just like any other software, adversaries are always looking for ways to exploit web browsers.  

Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks remain common. These are web application vulnerabilities that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into otherwise trusted websites, causing that code to run in a user’s browser. The flaw typically lies in server‑side code — or any code delivered by the server — that fails to properly validate or sanitize user input. While modern browsers include some client-side protections, such as built‑in XSS filters, these measures cannot fully compensate for insecure application design. 

The exploitation of XSS vulnerabilites can redirect users to fraudulent banking pages, alter the appearance of legitimate sites, plant malicious ads or links for future phishing attempts, or capture keystrokes to steal personal information. 

More advanced “attacker‑in‑the‑browser” attacks place the attacker between the user and the site they’re trying to access. Instead of breaching the device or the server, adversaries trick the user into connecting to them first. This often leads to financial fraud or theft of sensitive personal information. 

Browser-in-the-browser attacks have also started to imitate legitimate web browsers. Because these fake, attacker-created windows looks authentic, users often don’t realize they’re entering credentials directly into an attacker‑controlled interface. 

Stored browser data and cloud‑synced passkeys can expose your digital identity to theft 

Modern web browsers make it easy to save credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information, streamlining everything from online shopping to everyday logins. But that convenience comes with significant risk: If an adversary gains access to a user’s device or browser account, they can often retrieve all that stored data in one sweep. Sophos X‑Ops has observed groups like Qilin stealing credentials directly from victims’ Chrome browsers, enabling follow‑on attacks against personal services, workplace tools, and even fueling dark‑web credential markets.  

Dedicated password managers and secure payment wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay offer stronger safeguards because they encrypt sensitive information and rely on single‑use transaction codes that can’t be reused if stolen. 

At the same time, many users are moving to passkeys to avoid traditional passwords — but syncing those passkeys across cloud services and browsers expands the attack surface. Because a synced passkey exists in multiple locations, attackers have more opportunities to target it.  

Security researchers have already demonstrated techniques such as JavaScript injection and Signed Assertion Hijacking that exploit the mechanisms behind passkey synchronization. If successful, these attacks could allow adversaries to impersonate a user and access their accounts. Together, these trends highlight a growing challenge: convenience features in browsers and cloud services can quietly increase exposure, making it essential for users to choose more secure storage and authentication methods. 

Malicious extensions and sites can serve as silent backdoors for adversaries 

Another potential entry point for threat actors is via malicious web pages and browser extensions. Browser extensions are widely used and often free — which makes them an attractive target for attackers. Malicious extensions disguised as legitimate tools can quietly steal data, monitor activity, mine cryptocurrency, or capture authentication tokens. 

Even “regular” web pages can be malicious. Adversaries use several techniques to create malicious web pages, even hiding behind HTTPS (generally considered to be the “safest” websites), using URL shorteners to disguise their URLs, or putting phishing pages behind intentionally misleading URLs with difficult-to-spot typos. (Think: googIe dot com with a capital “I” rather than a lowercase “L”.) This tactic is often referred to as a “homograph attack.” 

How Sophos Workspace Protection can help 

These risks escalate quickly inside a business environment. A single malicious extension or compromised browsing session can expose session tokens, login credentials, and sensitive data — opening the door to ransomware or account takeover. 

To make browsing the web safer, Sophos Workspace Protection offers several features that can keep employees and users safe when trying to use the internet for day-to-day tasks. At the heart of it is the Sophos Protected Browser, a hardened Chromium-based browser powered by Island.io. It gives users a secure, familiar place to work while giving IT more control over how apps and data are used.  

It also integrates Sophos Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) directly into the browser, making authentication and access to web apps seamless for users without sacrificing security. 

Combined with DNS protection and email monitoring that works alongside Microsoft and Google, Sophos Workspace Protection gives organizations a unified, easy-to-manage way to help secure the workforce. It makes everyday browsing safer without adding complexity, giving users confidence that their work happens in a secure environment.