When we think of cyber threats, we usually picture hackers actively trying to steal our passwords, lock our files, or break into our bank accounts. But security researchers have recently uncovered a new tracking method that doesn’t do any of those things, and that’s exactly what makes it so hard to catch.
It’s called FROST, and it’s a tracking tactic that Big Tech and major browser developers are currently ignoring.
Here is what you need to know about this new threat, and how you can make sure your privacy stays protected.
What is the FROST Cyber Threat?
FROST stands for Fingerprinting Remotely using OPFS-based SSD Timing. FROST turns your computer’s own solid-state drive into a tracking sensor.
Here is how it works in those everyday scenarios:
The Setup:
A compromised website, such as an everyday weather or news page, is left open in a background tab. It launches a hidden script using legitimate browser web standards (OPFS) to bypass all security measures.
The Tracking:
The script then tracks the response times of your Solid-State Drive (SSD). It monitors the tiny fractions of a second it takes your drive to process data.
The Result:
By analyzing this timing data, attackers can identify the websites and applications you access, when you access them, and how long they are running with stunning accuracy. Beyond tracking every move you make, it can also take data off the SSD and send it back to the compromised website.
The Threat:
Colin Vaughn, a software developer at PC Matic, breaks it down like this:
“Let’s say you regularly visit a legitimate weather website every morning, but it is compromised with a FROST script. FROST learns you always launch your banking portal around the same time each morning. The attacker uses that information to then present a convincing “security alert” or fake login page precisely when you are expecting to access your account. Unbeknownst to you, you input your banking credentials into the fake login instead of the legitimate one. Now the hackers have access to your online bank account.”
FROST is known as a “passive side-channel attack.” It doesn’t need to hack into your computer; it just sits quietly in the background, listening to how your hardware naturally behaves to spy on your daily habits.
Why Traditional Security is Missing It
Because FROST exploits standard, legitimate web features to do its dirty work, it completely bypasses traditional firewalls and antivirus software. Standard security programs don’t see anything “wrong” happening, so they don’t block it.
Even worse, no traditional VPN currently on the market is equipped to address this specific vulnerability, and Big Tech browser developers are leaving the window wide open.
As Colin Vaughn, a Software Developer at PC Matic, explains:
“The team at PC Matic is working hard to expand privacy protections beyond conventional VPN capabilities. Our goal is to know everything we can about innovative threats like FROST and respond quickly and with precision.”
The Good News: PC Matic VPN Users Are Safe
If reading about a silent, undetectable tracker makes you nervous, take a deep breath.
1. Ultimate Protection with PC Matic VPN
If you are using the PC Matic VPN, you are fully protected from the FROST attack. While other traditional VPNs have left this window wide open for trackers to exploit, PC Matic has engineered specific, innovative solutions designed to block OPFS and SSD tracking methods like FROST. You don’t need to change your browsing habits or worry about closing every single tab while you wait at the airport.
2. Stop Threats at the Door with PC Matic Browser Security
To fully lock down your browsing experience, pair your VPN protection with PC Matic Browser Security. This powerful ad-blocker extension is available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
While the VPN handles complex tracking threats like FROST underneath the hood, the Browser Security extension actively cleans up what you see on the surface. It stops annoying ads, blocks intrusive trackers, and shields you from malicious scams before they can even load in your browser.
By cleaning up malicious web elements, you reduce the chances of ever landing on a page capable of launching a FROST attack. Ready to take control of your internet experience? You can learn exactly how to enhance your browsing experience with PC Matic’s browser security and keep your digital life clean and safe.
With PC Matic running the defense, your privacy remains exactly what it should be: completely private.
