Google Chrome improve browser security and now warns when downloading risky password-protected files and provides improved alerts with more information about potentially malicious downloaded files.
“These two tiers of warnings are distinguished by iconography, color, and text, to make it easy for users to quickly and confidently make the best choice for themselves based on the nature of the danger and Safe Browsing’s level of certainty,” the Chrome Security team explains.
Two-tier Chrome download warnings (Google)
https://security.googleblog.com/2024/07/building-security-into-redesigned.html
Encrypted archive scans
One of the weakest links in handling and scanning files that are downloaded from the Internet are the password-protected files, the systems and especially the browser does not have the ability to open the file and scan the contents of the files against attackers and viruses. encrypted archives such as .zip, .7z, or .rar files, are often evade detection due to password protection. To combat this, Chrome introduces new mechanisms depending on the user’s Safe Browsing mode:
- Enhanced Protection Mode: Users downloading suspicious encrypted archives will be prompted to enter the file’s password, which is sent along with the file to Safe Browsing for a deep scan. Google Say that uploaded files and file passwords are deleted a short time after they’re scanned, and all collected data is only used by Safe Browsing to provide better download protections
- Standard Protection Mode: Users will also be prompted to enter the file’s password, but the file and password stay on the local device, with “only the metadata of the archive contents are checked with Safe Browsing,(Google)”
How You Can Use the New Feature
The feature is enabled by default. However, if not enabled or users wish to enable the feature manually, he can do the following steps:
- Open Chrome settings by clicking on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of Chrome, then select “Settings.”
- Scroll down the menu and click on “Privacy and Security.”
- Under the “Safe Browsing” option, ensure that “Standard protection” or “Enhanced protection” mode is selected. This is key as the new scanning feature is a part of these protection modes.
- You can verify or adjust settings by confirming that the “Protect you and your device from dangerous sites” option is turned on.
SHMUEL H.