So what's the catch? Well, the nature of this system does require the URLs you're pulling up to be sent to Google's servers for analysis - something the lower-level local-list system does not.
Google says it's seen a 20% increase in thwarted phishing attacks on the desktop front as a result of the new system and a 25% increase on Android, specifically. The idea is that when a site tries to pull off some manner of trickery and change its domain faster than the prefetched list is updated - something that apparently happens more than you'd think, according to Google - this newer system cuts out the delay and manages to catch that kind of chicanery by checking addresses directly against Google's always-up-to-the-minute list. That's a pretty big improvement from the previous system's method of checking against only the prestored list of problematic pages kept on your own computer. It takes that same concept and turns up the dial a notch, with real-time checking of every URL you pull up against Google's up-to-the-minute list of dangerous websites. The newer Enhanced Safe Browsing mode, meanwhile, first came to our attention in May. If you've ever tried to open a web page and found yourself facing a weird error message telling you the site you're trying to pull up might try to steal your information, eat all your Mars Bars, or be unsafe for some other ungodly reason, well, there ya go - that's the Safe Browsing system at work. It also checks the URL of every page you open in the browser, in a split second before the site comes up, to make sure the address isn't listed in a collection of questionable sites Google maintains and stores locally in your Chrome browser (with updates trickling down from Google's own servers periodically). The system keeps an eye out for any signs of web-based malware, phishing, social engineering, and a bunch of other scary-sounding things.
Safe Browsing has been around in Chrome for a long time - since 2007, in fact, which was roughly 749 years ago by my current estimation. Right now, whether you realize it or not, your Chrome browser is probably using something Google calls Safe Browsing - on your computer, on your phone, and anywhere else you've got the thing installed. Chrome's Enhanced Safe Browsing mode: A quick overview Before we get into the specifics, though, let's take a second to break down this new form of browsing protection and what it's all about.
#Mysafe browsing says it has malwayre android#
We'll start with the simpler side of things, on the desktop front, and then move from there to Android - where the feature requires a teensy bit of extra effort to uncover. You can even pretend it's flannel, if you want.
But if you take two minutes to find and enable it, it'll be a valuable extra piece of your tech protection outfit. By default, though, it isn't on - and you'd probably never even know it was available. It's a new form of enhanced protection from web-based security threats in Chrome, and it's there and waiting to be activated. And Google's got a brawny new layer to add to your ensemble and help keep you extra safe. But the web is full of security trapdoors. Shady sites sit in wait to try to trick you into doing something dangerous, passwords are compromised constantly, and ghoulish virtual boogeymen who look curiously like Gary Busey crouch behind dark corners and prepare to pounce.Īll right, so the threat of the electronic Busey dopplegangers might not be so massive. When it comes to browsing this wild ol' web of ours, after all, potential threats are a-plenty. I'm not entirely sure how that applies to the tech side of things, but I'm stickin' with it.) The more effective pieces you have working to protect you, the less likely you'll be to let a burst of cold air - whether a metaphorical one or a literal one - catch you off-guard. Smart security, just like autumn attire, is all about layers.