A website says your Chrome is out of date and offers a download. That "update" is malware, and it's one of the most common infections we clean up.
Chrome, Edge, and Windows update themselves quietly from inside the program. No legitimate website will ever hand you an update file. If a page says "update required," close the tab.
Often a real, legitimate site that got hacked. You've done nothing wrong yet.
Perfect Chrome or Edge branding. "Your browser is out of date. Update now to continue."
The file comes from some random site, not Google or Microsoft. It even installs like an update.
Password stealers and remote-access tools, and sometimes ransomware later. Your antivirus may not catch it because YOU chose to run it.
Close the tab. That's the entire fix.
Update from inside the app: Chrome: menu → Help → About Google Chrome. It updates itself.
Turn on auto-updates for Windows and your browser, then popups have nothing to offer you.
Downloaded something anyway? Don't run it. Delete it and tell IT.
KCCS installs, secures, and watches business systems all over Southern Colorado. Get a free assessment — a real engineer walks your site and hands you a written punch list.
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