Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world at the moment, serving millions of people on mobile devices and PCs.
As a result of this popularity, this software has been a target by many malicious hackers who want to gain access to innocent users’ data. These scammers come posed in various fashions, but due to the fact that Google’s revenue model is based on ads, this is the most common style they use.
The search engine giant has been working against ad blockers, with the most recent victim being Samsung-owned Ad Blocker, which was kicked out of the Play Store. However, the rate at which ads are being used by hackers to access information on user devices has alarmed Google, necessitating this move.
Safe Browsing to warn users when they attempt to download malware-loaded software
With the new Safe Browsing in Google Chrome, users will be sure of their safety thanks to the warning the feature will send them whenever they try to download a malware-laden application. In addition, the feature will seek out for any ads that try to scam users into giving out their personal information and deal with them accordingly.
Safe Browsing is nothing new to savvy internet users. In fact, other browsers such as Firefox use it to prevent someone from accessing sites that contain malicious content. In case of any ad that is considered deceptive, a warning will pop up in red with the words “Deceptive site ahead.”
According to Google, deceptive ads are those that pretend to be what they aren’t or one that tricks users into executing a command they’d only proceed with when dealing with trusted entities.
In the past, Chrome’s Safe Browsing was only capable of dealing with phishing attempts, but the last three years have seen the feature reach greater heights. Things like warnings against downloading potentially-infected software as well as deceitful apps that try to alter the settings of your browser in their favor have been introduced along the way. With the addition of the latest capabilities, there is no doubt that the search engine giant is becoming more sensitive on matters of online privacy and security.