I assume this means Google has to test all the old Chromebooks and Chromeboxes – probably about 150 devices – to make sure they run new versions of Chrome OS. Chromebooks have changed a lot since then, getting a more Windowsy look-and-feel, touchscreen support and access to Google Play with the ability to run Android apps. Google launched Chromebooks in 2011 but the early models were pretty dire, few people bought them, and their relatively short life (about four years) didn’t matter very much. Chromebook updatesĮven Google’s top-end Pixelbook Chromebooks have a finite update life. The risks might be low but the stakes would be higher.Ī new Chromebook is cheaper than getting £50,000 siphoned from your bank account. But I’d have second thoughts if you use your machine for financial operations without two-factor authentication, or if your email is full of private medical and financial information, passwords, and so on. “Business and education customers using devices that have passed their AUE date should not expect that they can manage their devices as expected using the Google Admin console or leverage new management features released,” it says.Įither way, simple web browsing may not be much riskier than usual, and there are ways to make it safer.
We also can’t know how long it will be before your obsolete version of Chrome is unable to cope with new web technologies or when websites will refuse to work with it.įor schools and companies that use Chromebooks, Google spells out further potential problems. However, we can’t know in advance what sort of holes might appear in Chrome, or whether they might be exploited in unpatched Chromebooks, though Chrome OS’s security record is very good indeed. You will inevitably miss essential security updates to the Chrome browser. This can mean, among other things, installing fake Android apps with hidden features, installing bogus Chrome extensions, visiting malicious websites, falling for phishing attacks, falling for man-in-the-middle attacks and failing to install essential security updates.
Nowadays, most attacks require some kind of user assistance. There is no way to assess the risk because it depends partly on what you use your Chromebook for, and how careful you are. What are the risks if I just continue to use it without receiving any more updates? Bill The reason I bought a Chromebook in the first place was because of ease of use, simplicity and reliability. I understand that I can install a new operating system myself but I really can’t be bothered. The machine still works as well as when I first bought it, and I’m reluctant to dump it for a new one. I use mine for surfing the internet, email and creating documents, which I send as email attachments. I have recently got the message that my Acer Chromebook C720 will not be receiving any further updates as Google no longer supports Chromebooks older than six years.
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