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Q: I use windows 10 Pro and Google Chrome. After I sign in to financial websites I get an email saying they did not recognize my device or browser. How can I fix that? I cleared browsing data; reset Google Chrome to default settings; Deleted and reinstalled Google Chrome; run registry cleaner (CCleaner); run SFC scannow; Deleted temp files and restart, and reset modem and router.

 – Marion H.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida

A: What you are perceiving as a problem is actually a symptom of your site being overly protective of you and your personal data, Marion.  It’s likely that it’s not just financial websites where this is happening.  If it makes you feel any better, it happens to me too. Nevertheless, let’s talk about it.  The goal here is to try and gain a deeper understanding of what’s going on, and how you can minimize the inconvenience that it creates.

Let me first say that the rather lengthy list of things you’ve tried is somewhat unfortunate.  It looks like you’re trying every random solution that you’ve ever read about to alleviate the issue.  It also looks like you believe this is a malware problem, which I can assure you it very likely is NOT.  The problem with taking random actions is that you get random results, and often not related to your issue, or even helpful or positive.  To your credit, there’s not much in your list that falls into the “danger” category.  In fact, some of those actions are part of good, best practice, PC maintenance.  However, removing and re-installing Google Chrome is a little over-the-top.  Unless you took steps to protect your bookmarks, it can be pretty inconvenient to put thing back the way you like them.  It also removes your complete browser history, all desirable cookies, and more.  It’s a bit like using a sledge hammer to swat a fly – way overkill.

When you receive an email after signing into a website (financial or otherwise) it’s an indication that the website knows you, but was unable to properly associate the computer and/or web browser with any that it knows you to have used in the past.  This is probably a part of the site’s security – an attempt to make sure it’s actually you on the distant end, and not someone that has stolen your credentials pretending to be you.  There are several potential reasons the site might not recognize you, including outdated browser settings, use of an uncommon browser, or even a technical issue on the part of the website.  It might have tried and failed to write or read a cookie on your system, or something that uniquely identifies your browser to the site might have changed since the last time you accessed it, meaning that not all of your credentials match what the site was expecting.  Reinstalling Google Chrome may have actually contributed to the problem by introducing a new, unknown instance of a known browser onto your computer, which websites probably wouldn’t recognize.  And the cycle begins anew.

Now, before we accept this occurrence as a guaranteed legitimate scenario, I should say that you should be cautious about any email that requests personal information from you, even if it comes in the guise of “confirming” your data.  This is the vector used by phishing attacks which are a type of cyber-attack that targets individuals through email, text messages, and even phone calls.  There is no software involved, so malware scanners can’t help you.  The goal of the perpetrator is to trick the victim into revealing personally identifiable information, which will be used later.  The information they are after can include anything from bank account numbers, to credit card data, to system login credentials, and more.  The attacker is literally fishing for information, hence the cutesy name.  The only real way to defend yourself against this kind of attack is to become educated, so you know what to look for, what to delete without responding, and when it is safe to proceed.

One place you can always be guaranteed that it’s safe to proceed is It’s Geek To Me!  In fact, while you’re thinking about it, why not hop over to my website and submit your question for me to ponder and post?  Remember, I am seeking questions on anything having to do with technology, not just Windows and PCs. 

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