Software manufacturers shift version updates dates and releases of new programs because of the coronavirus. For example, Chrome will jump from 81 to 83, and Microsoft Edge will postpone the update.
Last week, it became known that Google cannot support the planned pace of Chrome browser releases. The fact is that due to the outbreak of coronavirus, many of the company’s engineers work from home, and if any problems arise during the release of Chrome 81, the necessary employees may not be available.In the end, Google developers decided to release all the security updates that are part of Chrome 81, as a small update for Chrome 80, and the release of stable versions of the browser and Chrome OS was frozen indefinitely.
Now Google has decided to skip Chrome 81 altogether, abandon Chrome 82 and “jump” immediately to Chrome 83.
Recall that the version of Chrome 81 was supposed to be released on March 17, but the release did not take place, and Chrome 81 remained at the beta stage.
“Due to changes in the release schedule, developers will not work on Chrome 82 and will immediately take on Chrome 83. That is, Chrome 81 will remain in beta until it is replaced by a beta version of Chrome 83, Chrome 82 will not at all, and Chrome 83 will enter the development phase”, — said Jason Kersey, Director of Technical Program Management at Google.
Similar news came from Microsoft: the company is suspending its Edge 81 browser, appealing to “global circumstances” around the outbreak of coronavirus.
“Now majority of system administrators are busy with security for employees working from home. Therefore, developers do not want to create an additional burden for them and other IT staff, releasing a new version of Edge right now”, – explained in the company.
Microsoft says that Edge, as well as Chrome, will continue to receive security updates, but the release of the stable version of Edge 81 has been delayed until the situation stabilizes.
It looks like the IT industry is adapting to living conditions in the COVID-19 era: Pwn2Own passed in virtual environment, cybercriminals announce a moratorium on attacks on medical institutions and immediately break promises, etc.
Other manufacturers were also forced to take some measures because of the pandemic situation.
For example, Mozilla temporarily re-enabled the TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 protocols in Firefox. A new version of Firefox 74 was released earlier this month, and TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1, which were recognized as unsafe, were disabled in it.
However, Mozilla has now turned them on to provide users with access to critical government sites still using these protocol versions.
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