Google has introduced real-time, privacy-preserving URL protection to Google Safe Browsing for anyone using Chrome on desktop or iOS.
“The Standard protection mode for Chrome on desktop and iOS will check sites against Google’s server-side list of known bad sites in real-time,” Google’s Jonathan Li and Jasika Bawa said.
“If we suspect a site poses a risk to you or your device, you’ll see a warning with more information. By checking sites in real time, we expect to block 25% more phishing attempts.”
The update to Google Safe Browsing Plus also includes new password protections for Chrome on iOS as another way to help you safely navigate the web.
Safe Browsing already protects more than 5 billion devices worldwide, defending against phishing, malware, unwanted software and more. In fact, Safe Browsing assesses more than 10 billion URLs and files every day, showing more than 3 million user warnings for potential threats.
Previously, the Standard protection mode of Safe Browsing used a list stored on your device to check if a site or file was known to be potentially dangerous. That list is updated every 30 to 60 minutes — but Google’s research revealed that the average malicious site actually exists for less than 10 minutes.
So now, the Standard protection mode for Chrome on desktop and iOS will check sites against Google’s server-side list of known bad sites in real time. If Google suspects a site poses a risk to the device of the users, they’ll see a warning with more information. By checking sites in real time, we expect to block 25% more phishing attempts.
The new capability uses encryption and other privacy-enhancing techniques to ensure that no one, including Google, knows what website one is visiting.
The Standard protection mode for Chrome on desktop and iOS will check sites against Google’s server-side list of known bad sites in real time.
If one wants even more protection, they can always turn on Safe Browsing’s Enhanced Protection mode, which uses AI to block attacks, provides deep file scans and offers extra protection from malicious Chrome extensions.
