If Chrome is your primary internet browser then here’s some good news. Google has pushed out a new feature that lets users scan dubious files by sending it to the cloud for a thorough checkup. Called the Advanced Protection Program, the service comes with Google’s ‘strongest security measures’ to combat the risk of targeted online attacks. The feature has been active since late August and has been warning users and blocking potentially harmful files. Google suggests that attackers are moving away from sending malware through email as Gmail’s security feature scans every file in an attachment as well as URLs.
Chrome now offers users the ability to send files that they think are a potential threat to the cloud where Google can scan it. It is done using “Safe Browsing’s full suite of malware detection technology" with a focus on static and dynamic analysis techniques and files are deleted a short time after scanning from Google’s cloud server. It does take a while to scan the file, depending on the size of the file and your internet speeds, and after the file is scanned, and after that, a warning will be given to the user if the file seems to be unsafe. Users will have the option to ignore the alert and open the file without scanning at their own risk.
“When a user downloads a file, Safe Browsing will perform a quick check using metadata, such as hashes of the file, to evaluate whether it appears potentially suspicious. For any downloads that Safe Browsing deems risky, but not clearly unsafe, the user will be presented with a warning and the ability to send the file to be scanned," said Google giving an overview of the Advanced Protection Program.
Users can enroll for the Advanced Protection Program by heading here.
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