Google Chrome set to introduce real-time phishing protection for users

WEB DESK: Google Chrome is set to introduce a “real-time phishing protection”, a new feature to its ‘Safe Browsing’ technology.

The new feature is aimed at protecting users from harmful websites while they are surfing the internet. According to reports, Google’s “Safe Browsing” technology has kept billions devices safe from online threats. The technology has been around for past fifteen years.

Previously, the Google browser checked websites against a list of known dangerous sites stored on a user’s device. However, this method was not effective as new harmful sites would pop up and disappear within minutes. This made it hard to keep the list updated. With the new feature, Google has added real-time checks to its browser’s “Standard Protection” mode.

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The new feature will check all websites a user visits against a constantly updated list stored on Google’s servers. This way, if a website is identified as harmful, Chrome can warn the user right away.

To maintain the user’s privacy and keep it safe, Google said its browser will encrypt the website’s address and will send it through a “special server” before checking it against the list.

Despite these extra steps, Google said it has worked to make sure a user’s browsing experience remained smooth and will not lag. The company also claimed to ensure that this real-time protection automatically turned on for all Chrome users, including those who use it for work.

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The company said it wanted to share these protections with developers so they can make their apps safer, too. This update is expected to reportedly block 25 per cent more phishing attempts than before.

In addition to these changes, Chrome on iPhones and other Apple devices will get an update to help users pick stronger passwords.

The new Safe Browsing mode is already available on computers and iPhones. However, it will be available for Android users later in March.