Google announced that, starting this week, the Safe Browsing protection mechanism available in Chromewill benefit from expanded capabilities, allowing it to detect malicious software that can make unauthorized changes to your computer.
Simply put, Google Chrome will be able to warn users about potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), blocking their download.
The programs that will be restricted by the new security mechanism generally fall into the category of toolbars and plug-ins, which may change the browser's home page or other settings, affecting users' browsing habits.
The download of “suspicious” files will not be completely restricted, as users will be able to complete the download from the browser’s download section.
The Safe Browsing service is not only used in Google products, but any other software that uses the service's API can benefit from its features.
“Starting next week, we’ll expand the protection that Safe Browsing provides against a broader range of harmful software: against programs that masquerade as useful software, but actually make unexpected changes to your computer, either by changing your homepage or other browser settings,” Google engineer Moheed Abu Rajabab said in a blog post.
Currently, the service is used to block more than three million suspicious downloads every week.
