Apple and the FBI are locked in an ongoing war that once again brings encryption into the fold. As this war is going on, Google wants to make sure that no FBI or any other government-sponsored agent can access your Gmail account without your knowledge.
The idea of making conversation over the internet extremely private is freaking out most governments, but it seems it is what tech companies are ready to offer to their customers. Google has now updated the Gmail service with a security system that warns users whenever there is a suspected government-sponsored person trying to steal your password.
In addition, the new security protocols will also see Gmail users alerted whenever they try to access a generous link while at the same time offering some suggestions on the how best to send emails securely.
This announcement was made by the company on its own blog, mentioning that the Safe Browsing feature will now be available to all users of Gmail. This is something not really new for Gmail users. The company has been doing this for the past three years in case it believed an account is being attacked. But rather than use a banner on top of Gmail pages, the new update will see users receive a warning that is covered on a full page, something that no user will miss by any chance.
Warnings happen to less than 0.1% of Gmail users
Gmail has close to a billion users, but according to Google, the security warnings have only been sent to less than 0.1% of all users. Furthermore, the company notes that the warnings are usually sent to accounts associated with activists, journalists and other popular figures.
The company further notes that not all warnings are true. In addition, Google says that it will not be sharing the reasons behind these warnings. This is so as to prevent the potential hackers from knowing how they are being discovered or traced.
Another update will also see Gmail users receive a full-page warning whenever they click on a link that is deemed harmful by the Google team. This update comes as part of an update to the Safe Browsing feature, which means it will take effect regardless of the email app or browser in use.
Google has been rolling out updates to a wide range of its mobile services in the recent past, but most of them have been focusing on the new Android N. The latest Gmail app updates have less to do with the upcoming Android N and more to do with user privacy and security, something that is getting crucial every minute.