Google Chrome enhances Safe Browsing with real-time protection against malware
Google has announced an upgrade to its default Safe Browsing mode in Chrome, aimed at providing improved protection against malicious websites. Previously, this mode relied on a locally stored list that updated every 30-60 minutes to identify potential threats. However, Google has now incorporated real-time checks against a server-side list of unsafe sites, a feature borrowed from the opt-in Enhanced protection mode of Safe Browsing.
Enhanced protection against phishing and malware
Google's Safe Browsing feature is currently used on over five billion devices, evaluating more than 10 billion URLs as well as files daily. The tech giant believes the new real-time checks will help block an additional 25% of phishing attempts. Despite this upgrade, Google still recommends users opt for the Enhanced Protection mode, which uses Machine Learning (ML) to identify risky sites that haven't been identified as potentially malicious by Safe Browsing.
Google's real-time protection upgrade preserves privacy
Google has emphasized that the new Safe Browsing feature does not compromise user privacy. The URLs of sites visited by users are not shared with the company. Instead, a privacy server removes any identifiable user details before forwarding encrypted hash prefixes to the Safe Browsing server for checking against the list of unsafe sites. This process involves hashing and encryption, ensuring that users' browsing activities remain private.
Availability and additional security features in Chrome
The upgraded Safe Browsing feature is now available on desktop and iOS versions of Chrome, with an Android version expected later this month. In addition to this, Google has updated Chrome's Password Checkup feature on iOS. Besides alerting users to compromised passwords, it will now alert them about weak and reused credentials, further enhancing online security.